Spirit Tracks Remix
by Wingscutdarkness
Summary: This is just what happens when I'm bored and frustrated when I can't really talk to video game characters. Well, guess what? I think I just found a way! :D Rated T for sarcasam and mild language. And Mary Sueish-ness.
1. Hyrule Castle

**Chapter One: Hyrule Castle**

* * *

I slammed my locker shut and trudged down the hall as the bell rang, signaling the next period in an obnoxious manner. My classmates pushed past me, clearly eager to get to social class.

For what reason I had no idea.

I kept my eyes glued to my DS as I reluctantly meandered into the classroom and sat down at my desk.

On screen, I was driving a train to a castle so Link could get an engineer certificate or something.

Sigh. If only Twilight Princess was portable.

"Mia!" My teacher barked. My hand jerked across the touch screen, causing me to accidentally pick the wrong track. I winced as Link collided with an oncoming train, resulting in both trains bursting into flames. Oops.

I slipped my DS under my leg, putting on my best 'who, me?' face.

"Who, me?" I asked innocently and glanced up at my teacher.

He crossed his arms and scowled.

Well, two can play at this game.

"What? You mean to tell me that you've never skipped class before, Mr. Hedley? Not even once?" I asked, feigning shock. The class snickered. I grinned. Mr. Hedley turned slightly red and swallowed hard, then angrily stalked over to the smart board and stabbed his pointer at a colorful picture of some half-naked prisoner tied to a wheel with a spear sticking through him. I took a minute to grimace at the blood before glancing away, feigning boredom.

"It was a time of great massacre..."

When Mr. Hedley starts his lectures, however, I don't have to feign boredom. Suffer from insomnia? Just sit in on one of Mr. Hedley's classes. He's that bad. With an insane amount of willpower, I usually can keep myself awake. For some reason, today I was having a lot of trouble keeping my head up. The sound of drool (not my own) forming puddles on the floor only made me sleepier. Stifling a yawn, I tilted my head back slightly and closed my eyes. The DS pulsed warmly against my leg.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Something poked me in the arm. I mumbled sleepily. Who or Whatever had poked me poked me again. Hard. I growled softly, drew an arm over my head, and rolled over onto my side.

Wait a minute...

I had rolled over. I must have fallen out of my desk onto the floor or something. Well how embarrassing.

"Hey kid! Hey you! HEY!" An unfamiliar voice shouted in my ear. My eyes flew open, and a bright light momentarily blinded me as I sat up.

"Alright, jeez, I'm..." Right about then, my vision returned and I cut myself off. "W-what the..."

I seemed to be lying in the middle of the floor of a castle of some sort. Colourful tapestries hung from walls made out of huge slabs of stone. Humongous pillars with weird symbols carved into them reached way up towards the domed ceiling, where a stained-glass window sparkled.

"W-What just happened...?"

The poker poked me yet another time. Not too very kindly.

"Ow!" I rubbed my arm and glared up at an oldish looking guard of some sort holding a spear. Suddenly realizing how weird he looked, I got up off the floor and narrowed my eyes. "Hey...why are you all cartoony?"

The guard stared suspiciously at me. "I have strict orders to report any strange business around the castle. But you're just a kid and obviously crazy, so I'll let you go this time. But if I ever see you again..."

I didn't budge.

"Alright, scram already. You're interfering with my duties." The guard growled.

"Duties?" I brightened. "Cool, what kind of duties?"

"Y'know...guard duties."

"What kind of guard duties?"

"Regular guard duties. " The guard snapped.

"Are they important?"

"Yes. Yes they are." The guard said, not looking at me.

"Are you...doing them right now?"

"...Yes." He narrowed his eyes.

I tilted my head a bit. "Huh, really? It looks like you're just standing around doing nothing." I'm pretty sure I would have gotten poked with that spear again if a blonde kid in an engineer outfit hadn't walked up just then.

"Excuse me-"

"What do you want?" The guard snapped at him.

The boy blinked. "Um...I'm here for-"

The guard suddenly straightened up and saluted as an important-looking short guy walked up. He was wearing a suit and had two small hats on top of his head.

"Chancellor Cole! Sir!"

"I didn't know dwarfs could become chancellors," I said to the engineer kid. He clapped his hands over his mouth to hide a snicker.

The Chancellor turned his attention to me. "How dare you? Who is this ill-mannered girl, hmm?"

"Ugh, I'm so glad you are here, Chancellor. This kid's been haslen' me ever since she appeared out of thin air." The guard told the dwarfy guy.

"My name is Mia." I informed them both. "And I'm not a kid!"

"Hmm." The Chancellor stared at me with beady black eyes. "Let's put her to death." I blinked as he turned his back on me and started talking to the guard.

"Wait, what?!"

"Um...I really, really need to know where to find Princess Zelda..." The blonde boy mumbled. "It's kind of important."

I looked over at him.

"...Did you say...Zelda?" I asked him.

"Um, yes?" He said, blinking as I scrutinizing him more throughly. Blonde hair...kid...engineer...Zelda...Wait a minute-

"Are you- Are you...Link?"

He nodded after a few seconds.

I nervously chewed on my lip.

Strangely, I somehow seemed to be in that Spirit Tracks game I was playing earlier. Well, this is weird.

"Uhm..." I stuttered. "D-did you say you were going to find Princess Zelda?"

"Yes..."

I thought for a minute and decided that if anyone would be able to figure out what was going on, it would probably be Zelda. At least, I think she is supposed to be the smart one in these games.

I cleared my throat. "Right. I'm going with you."

Link glanced at me. "What?"

I raised my voice and tuned toward the guard and the chancellor. "Hey! I'm with him, and he's late for a very important ceremony! Or...or something!"

The guard and the chancellor stopped talking to each other and glared at me instead.

"Uh...haha..." I laughed nervously and jerked my head in the direction of what I assumed was the throne room. "C'mon,"

"Okay..." Link said.

Chancellor Cole hesitated as we walked up and stopped in front of the solder, waiting for him to move. "As unfortunate as it is, these two urchins do need to get past. Princess Zelda insisting on preforming those ridiculous little ceremonies and all. All right, let them pass."

The guard saluted and stepped aside. I smiled at him as we walked past, and he snorted in a way that clearly said crossing paths with him again would be hazardous to my health.

"How did you know I had a ceremony?" Link asked as we walked down a heavily carpeted hallway and through two big doors.

"Um, everyone was, uh, talking about it earlier or something...yeah."

"...Oh. You said your name was Mia, right? Are you from a different realm? I've never seen you before."

"Um..." I fidgeted with my hands. "Well, you see..."

"Quiet, peasants!" The Chancellor hissed from behind us.

I half turned around and was just about to make another dwarf comment when Cole grinned, exposing a mouthful of sharp, pointed teeth.

"I think I know who the bad guy of this game is going to be." I turned forward again and whispered to Link.

"Game?" Link stared blankly at me.

"Uh... never mind."

"Okay."

We walked up a few steps and towards a fancy throne with two doors on either side of it. There were guards stationed all around.

"Be quiet!" Cole spat, and poked me with one of his disgustingly pointy fingernails. "You are clearly no engineer and you're lucky I didn't have you thrown out right when I first saw you. You don't belong here. " He said accusingly. I cringed.

"You're kind of creepy, you know that?"

"You brat.." Chancellor Cole began, but was cut off by a fanfare of trumpets, announcing Princess Zelda, I guess. Link went up ahead and knelt front of the throne, his head bowed. The chancellor turned and walked rapidly over to the wall on the right side of the throne, taking his position between two guards. The look in his eyes told me that if he caught me...bad things would probably happen. So for the rest of the ceremony, I stayed close to the entrance. Just in case I needed to make a quick exit or something.

One of the doors beside the throne opened and a girl walked in. She was wearing a pink dress and her blonde hair fell neatly down her back. Princess Zelda. I recognized her from that Zelda game with the talking boat. I frowned. Why couldn't Nintendo make her look a little different than her ancestors?

While I was thinking about that sort of stuff, Link had became an official engineer. Or at least that is what I figured from the heroic pose he had just struck and the official-looking piece of paper he was holding in the air.

After giving something else to Link that I don't think anyone else was supposed to see, Princess Zelda turned and walked out of the room, followed closely by mostly all the guards. I didn't get a chance to talk to her. Aww. I sighed in disappointment, and then dove behind a nearby pillar when I noticed the Chancellor looking towards me.

Footsteps came closer and I squeezed my eyes shut.

I nervously waited, and my breath whooshed out of my lungs once he passed by my hiding spot, barely missing me. A few seconds later, I inched out from behind the pillar, looked down the hallway, and realized that it was Link who actually had passed me and not the Chancellor. Oops.

I ran after him. He turned to face me as I came closer.

"Look!" He proudly held up his certificate and grinned. "I'm an engineer now!"

"That's really great. Uh, what else did Zelda give you?" I asked, glancing around to make sure no one was around. Link frowned.

Then, obviously deciding to trust me, he said: "Just a letter. She said to meet her in her room and she had a favor to ask me. Oh, and to look out for the Chancellor."

I stared at him. "So, Princess Zelda knows something about the Chancellor too? Did she tell you how to get to her room?"

"She gave me this map," Link held out an peice of paper. "But why-"

I took the letter from him and scanned it for directions. "Because I need to talk to her."

"Oh. Why?"

"Because..." I started, then stopped, not knowing how to tell him. Or if I should tell him at all. The last thing I need is someone else thinking I'm crazy. "Because-"

"Because you appeared out of thin air?"

...stupid, loudmouth castle guards.

"...Uh, y-yes..." I braced myself to run if he started screaming or something.

Link's eyes widened a bit...but he didn't freak out. "So, you aren't from around here and you just randomly appeared in the castle. You think that Princess Zelda can help you somehow, and that's why you want to talk to her?" He asked.

"Uh...yeah. Pretty much."

"Oh. Weird." Link took the letter back from me and started heading down a random hallway I hadn't noticed before. I hoped he was better at directions then I was.

He had picked a narrow, dim, and dusty-smelling passageway, and we started going down it. When he stopped suddenly, I barely managed to stop myself from ramming into him. He turned to face me, and I was a tiny bit unnerved by his big cartoonish eyes. I wondered if my eyes looked like that now. Probably.

"Do you really think the Chancellor is evil?" He asked very seriously.

"...Yeah, probably."

Link turned and walked towards a flickering light at the end of the hallway that was a torch attached to the wall beside a wooden door. "Really?" He asked over his shoulder and eased the heavy door open slowly.

"Is that really so hard to believe?" I whispered as we tiptoed to another door right across from the one we had come out of. Link stopped and cautiously turned the door knob.

I was immediately assaulted by a strong cloud of perfume and coughed a few times. The sound of something like a flute being played floated through the air. Every single object in the room happened to be various shades of pink. I grimaced.

The music was coming from Zelda, who was standing with her back to us and playing a pan flute with green tassels. Link brushed past me and stepped further into the room. I cleared my throat loudly.

"I'm so glad you could make it." Zelda put her flute down in a holder and turned to face us. "I-" She froze when she saw me. "Link...I thought I told you to come alone. Who is this?" She asked warily.

"I'm Mia." I told her, and then beamed. "May I say that your security staff rock? Especially the guy who guards your throne room. He's awesome. You should keep him."

"Mia appeared out of nowhere and wants you to help her find her way home." Link explained. "She helped me get to my ceremony."

"Oh..." Zelda looked confused.

"Don't think about it too hard," I advised and pushed my hair behind my ear. Then I noticed a mirror across the room. "Ooo! A mirror!"

I skirted around Zelda and trotted towards it, desperately hoping I didn't look like any of the creepy islanders in _Phantom Hourglass_. To my relief, I still looked normal. My eyes were a little more cartoonish, but that only made sense. Overall, I looked the same. Same dark hair. Same annoying freckles.

I turned away from my reflection and saw Link and Zelda both staring at me.

"What?"

"N-nothing." Link muttered.

"Hmm..." Zelda glanced at Link. "I don't think I could do anything to help you Mia, but I have an idea. The reason I asked Link to come to my room was to see if he would take me to the Tower of Spirits on his train. The train tracks that cover the land and connect at the tower have been disappearing everywhere, you see. Something must have happened at the tower."

"Hmm. Well, that kind of makes sense." I said.

"I've heard stories of a sage who lives in the tower, and I want to talk to her, to see if she knows what's going on." Zelda continued. "She's supposed to be very smart-"

"That's probably why she is known as a Sage!" I realized happily. Sometimes I amaze myself with how smart I can be.

"-so maybe she can help you get back home!"

"Hey, you kind of sound like you want to get rid of me..."

Zelda was silent for a few seconds. "Anyways," she finally continued, "Chancellor Cole doesn't let me out of the castle normally due to 'safety reasons'. But I'm pretty sure he just wants to keep me away from the tower." She mused to herself. "But why?"

"Well, he's obviously hiding something." I told her. I though Zelda was supposed to be smart!

Link spoke up, "Ok, I'll take you guys to the tower. But, how are you going to get out without any of the guards noticing?"

Zelda pointed at a stack of green clothes folded on the floor.

"Here. With those, you can pretend you're a recruit; you should be able to walk around without any of the guards noticing you. If you can find some way of distracting them, Mia and I can sneak past."

"Wow, you must have been planning this for a long time." I have to admit, she's pretty resourceful.

"Yes," Zelda said curtly. "Now please change clothes, Link. We need to leave as soon as possible." Her voice turned all sugary sweet again and she beamed.

I turned around, then glanced sideways at the princess.

"Soooo...were you planning on watching?"

"N-no, of course not. That would...um, ha ha!" Zelda hurriedly turned around, her face bright red. "So...how do you know Link?" She muttered to me a few seconds later.

Excuse me while I count all the Zelda games I've played. This may take a while.

"Well, I don't really _know _him. I mean, I helped him get to the throne room and I followed him here, but today is the first time I've ever seen him." I muttered back, holding my hand down at my side so she wouldn't see my crossed fingers.

"Oh, okay." Zelda sounded appeased for some reason.

"Okay, I'm done." Link announced and we turned around. Shockingly, he was now dressed in a green tunic and hat.

Zelda looked Link over, then nodded. "Looks...good enough, I guess."


	2. Cole and Byrne

**Chapter Two: Cole and Byrne**

* * *

After getting multiple dirt stains on our clothes from kneeling behind walls, and sprinting like heck while Link threw rocks at the particularly focused guards, Zelda and I finally made it to the castle gate.

"Huh...huh...We made it!" Zelda panted.

"Yup." I answered, wiping the dirt off my jeans.

"How...was that so easy for you?" Zelda asked. She was nearly bent over with her hands on her knees, and I was leaning against the gate as we waited for Link.

"I don't know." I shrugged. "Maybe because I'm not wearing a dress?"

"Hmm." Zelda straitened up and fixed her hair, glancing away from me. I could tell she wasn't really paying attention.

Link walked up a few seconds later.

"Hi! Where's your train?" I looked around Castle Town.

A huge fountain gleamed in the middle of the path; plumes of water sprayed up and sparkled as they caught the sun. Colorful shops lined the street. At the end of the street, I saw a small, wooden train and immediately recognized it as the train I had accidentally crashed when Mr. Hedley had startled me.

"Found it," I said, and the three of us started making our way towards the train station. As we got closer, I realized that the train was a lot bigger than it had looked before. I hoped that Link's driving skills were better than mine.

Link jumped up the platform ahead of us. "So, what do you think?" He asked,looking at me.

"As long as it will get us to the spirit tower or whatever, then..." I shrugged.

"Tower of Spirits." Zelda corrected sourly.

"Of course it will!" Link grinned, and went over to open the door to the passenger car.

"Link, what took so long?" Said someone from inside. "I've been waiting forever!"

"I'm sorry Alfonzo! Something came up, and-" Link stepped aside to let Zelda enter. "-Princess Zelda wants us to take her to the Tower of Spirits."

"Oh, your highness!" The guy said, and it sounded like he jumped to his feet. After talking to him for a bit, Zelda finally moved, leaving the doorway open. Finally!

I tripped over the stairs as I was getting into the train car though. And landed on my face. Zelda covered her mouth with her hands, but I still heard her laugh,

"Ouch...uh...ouch." Embarrassed, I got to my feet and hurriedly sat down in the nearest empty seat, which happened to be across the aisle from a big guy with a bandanna on his forehead. Ah, yes. He must be Alfonzo, Link's engineer mentor.

"Hi!" I nodded at him, then directed my attention away from him and onto Zelda, who, I had noticed, had stepped slightly in front of Link. "Hi! Remember me? I'm the girl who couldn't get into the train because you were standing in the doorway for an hour!" I slumped down in my seat and crossing my arms, annoyed at being laughed at. "You were the one who was in a big hurry in the first place."

Alfonzo looked at Link.

"Oh, this is Mia," Link chirped, coming out from behind Zelda and walking over to the door. "She's coming to the tower too."

"Alright then. Pleased to make your acquaintance." He turned to me and stuck out his hand. I shook it formally and giggled.

Zelda sighed. "We should probably get going now, Link."

"Okay, we'll be there in a flash!" Link slammed the door behind him. I saw him walk to the front of the train through the windows. A few seconds later, the engine roared to life and with a jerk, we started moving.

Alfonzo turned to me. "Say, Mia, did you know that I used to be a famous swordsman?"

I stared at him. "Really?"

He grinned and gestured to the sword on the seat beside him. "Only the best of my time."

"Whoa! That's so cool! Did you ever fight any monsters?"

Alfonzo chuckled. "Lots! Hundreds, probably."

"Wow...!" I turned to Zelda. "Zelda, did you hear that?"

Zelda started to answer, but then the train pitched violently to one side. It skidded sideways for a few seconds before it leveled out again and stopped.

I groaned and pushed myself off the floor. "How the heck did Link graduate with driving skills like that?"

Zelda shakily stood up and headed towards the door. "Maybe something happened to him!" She said worriedly and opened the carriage door, rushing forwards as fast as she could in that fancy dress.

I followed Alfonzo outside and saw Link lying on the ground. There were little pieces of broken machinery all over the grass, and the train looked totaled. The engine was smoking.

"Alfonzo! The tracks! They just disappeared!" Link wheezed. I did a quick 360. Link wasn't kidding. Where there had once been tracks leading from the castle towards the big tower that we were heading for, there was just grass. Nothing to indicate that tracks had ever been there. Everything was strangely quiet, no birds singing or anything.

"Well that's weird," I said to break the silence.

"Oh no!" Zelda sounded very distressed. "I was right! Something is terribly wrong!"

I looked up at the tower before she could reply and saw tendrils of something slowly spiraling down the sides of the tower like snakes. "What the..."

They seemed to be coming from a cloud of darkness that swirled directly above the tower and rapidly grew larger, electricity sparking across the middle.

"Uh, g-guys?" I stuttered.

Then a blue wave of electricity shot out of the cloud and down the sides of the tower, splitting it into four pieces. The pieces of tower began spinning slowly, hanging suspended in the air by some strange force. All that was left on the ground was the base. I stared, bug-eyed. Alfonzo, Zelda, and Link came and stood beside me, and we all stared up in horror at the huge tower parts.

"Your highness! Look over there!" Alfonzo suddenly said.

We all looked to where he was pointing. A little to the left of the tower, another dark cloud was forming. Just as I was wondering how things could possibly get any weirder, something monstrous that could only be described as a demon train roared out of the cloud, heading straight at us.

Zelda shrieked and we all covered our heads. Like that would have made much of a difference. A strong rush of wind almost knocked me over, and a shower of grit pelted us as the creepy train flew over our heads and disappeared into the distance.

"Did that train have a...face?" I asked, helping Link up off the ground. He was covered in dust.

"Wh-what was that?" Zelda looked frightened.

"I think that was a train." Alfonzo said gravely.

Link pulled off his hat and beating it against his leg to get the dust out.

"Out for a leisurely stroll, your highness?" A nauseating and familiar voice reached my ears. "You know that's not allowed!"

"Not allowed by who? You, Chancellor Cole?" Zelda said defiantly.

"Eeek!" I hid behind Alfonzo.

"That's right! Me! The one who's really in charge!" I peeked out from behind Alfonzo just in time to see Cole's hats spontaneously fly off his head, revealing lopsided horns. Whoa...!

"It's so tiring to pretend to be human all the time." Cole sighed.

I noticed another evil-looking guy walk up from behind him. From what I could see of him, he was tall, had a dark ponytail, and a cloth covering the lower part of his face. Shiek style. What caught my attention the most was a freaky metal hand/clawshot thing attached to the end of his left arm. He looked about five times more threatening than Cole.

I shuddered.

"I had meant to keep up the ruse for a little longer, but you pushed me too this." Cole growled.

"What are you talking about Cole?" Zelda stepped forward. Cole sighed and walked a few steps to the side.

"I'm talking about your friend's infernal meddling." He looked at me with immense dislike, his orange mustache twitching.

"What? What did I do?" I asked, confused.

Cole paid no more attention to me. "Now that those vile train tracks are gone, the time has finally come!" He turned to Princess Zelda with creepy look on his face. "Now all we need is you, your highness!"

Zelda gasped, and Alfonzo hurriedly stepped in front of her, his arms stretched out.

"I don't know who these guys are, your highness, but they are obviously bad news." Alfonzo grasped his sword and threw the sheath away. "With your permission, I'd be happy to take care of them."

Chancellor Cold gave another creepy giggle and floated up into the air. I cringed. He can fly? What else could he do?

"Do not think that I don't know what I'm doing Cole. I have served the royal family for years!" Alfonzo carved a few double-handed strokes in the air with his sword.

Cole looked up at the ponytail guy, who now stood beside him. "Melodrama is so incredibly boring." He said tiredly. "Byrne, would you please dispose of this fool?"

"This man speaks the truth, Cole." The ponytail guy, apparently Byrne, replied. "His moments are not those of an amateur." He glanced briefly over at me standing there and shivering, and then pointed his metal hand at Alfonzo. "But he is only human."

The two began to circle each other. Alfonzo suddenly struck out with a blow aimed at Byrne's head. Byrne blocked the attack, but Alfonzo pressed forward, raining a flurry of strikes down on his opponent. Each time, Byrne blocked them with his claw, metal meeting metal with a clang that rang in my ears. I cringed each time Alfonzo was almost too late to block Byrne's attacks.

Then, their weapons locked together.

"I told you, I will protect the princess at any cost!" Alfonzo grunted.

Byrne shoved Alfonzo slightly downwards. "And I told you. You're only human." He said cooly.

They broke away from each other and spun back around. Byrne charged, and Alfonzo raised his sword in a defensive position. I noticed Byrne's metal hand start glowing with an ominous purple light, and opened my mouth to warn Alfonzo, but I was too late.

Byrne crashed into Alfonzo so hard that Alfonzo flew backwards into the passenger car. He slumped to the ground, little flickers of electricity sparked all over his body. I stared at him in horror. Zelda gave a little scream.

"Nyee hee hee hee!" Cole danced in the air around Byrne's head. "Excellent work Byrne! You do know how to put on a show!"

"It wasn't a fair fight, Cole." Byrne replied, then started walking towards Zelda.

"Help me Link!" Zelda stood frozen as Byrne moved closer.

Link immediately threw himself in front of her. Byrne took one look at Link and swatted him out of the way with his bare arm. I gasped as Link flew through the air, just like Alfonzo had earlier. He landed hard on the packed ground, and gave a squeak of pain, while Byrne continued towards Zelda.

"Oh no, Link! Mia! Help me!"

"You!" Chancellor Cole rose in the air, holding two crackling orbs of energy in his hands. "I should have taken care of you a long time ago!"

Uh oh.

He fired the orbs at me.

"Ahh!" I dove out of the way, resulting in the projectiles hitting Princess Zelda.

"Ahh!" She crumpled to the ground and became deathly still.

I stared at motionless body. "O-Oh my gosh..."

"Pesky brat!" Cole hissed. "Get her, Byrne!"

"W-what?" I looked up, just as Byrne stormed over and grabbed me around my middle. "Ahh! Let me go!" I tried to hit him, but I couldn't reach. I squirmed and kicked and screamed as he picked me up. He regarded me for a minute, then brought his metal hand around hard, hitting me ankle. I screamed and Byrne dropped me.

"Uhhaaah!" I fell to the ground, writhing in pain. Byrne's shadow fell over me. I stared defiantly up at him, holding my swelling ankle. Tears of pain filled my eyes and I fave a shuddering gasp of fear as Byrne's hand started glowing with that weird blue electricity again.

I raised my hand in front of my face and screamed as a bolt of power shot toward me. I clenched my teeth and braced for the searing pain...which never came. Instead, the electricity ran in a smooth line from Byrne's hand into...my hand somehow. All I felt was a warm tingling. It was almost weird enough to distract myself from my ankle.

Then the electricity Byrne was shooting at me slowed to a trickle and he staggered backwards slightly, a bewildered expression on his face. Almost as if I drained power from him or something.

"Whoa..." I breathed, then realized that I probably be dead or something. I immediately flopped over on the ground, twitching my good foot a few times for good measure, and tried to act dead.

"Good work Byrne. You have no idea how much trouble that pest has given me. Now grab the princess and let's get out of here." Cole said gleefully.

I cracked one eye open just in time to see Byrne grab Zelda and tuck her under his arm. The two then started walking towards a distant forest, taking Zelda with them.


	3. Anjean

**Chapter Three: Anjean**

* * *

I waited until I was sure they were gone before sitting up and assessing the damage done to my ankle. I tried to move it and had to bite my tongue to keep from swearing. It really hurt, and I was pretty sure that something was broken.

I looked over at Link, who was lying on the ground with his limbs splayed out. "Link! Link, wake up!"

No response.

I made a fist and punched the ground, tears of frustration and pain welling up in my eyes. The moment my fist hit the ground, a reaction of some sort was triggered. I stared as electricity danced across my palm, and my skin began to light up from the inside. My hand continued to glow bright blue and crackle.

"What the..."

There was a flash of light that sliced through my eyelids, and then it was over. I felt slightly spent as if I had just run a marathon. I blinked away the spots in my vision and gasped for air, feeling more than a little freaked out.

What was happening to me?

I reached down and clutched at my ankle, which had started to throb mercilessly. Through eyes blurred with tears of pain, I noticed there was now some sort of symbol on the back of my left hand; a swirly, spirally sort of thing.

I forced myself to stay calm. After all, this was technically a video game, and weird things do happen in video games.

Hmm...

Closing my eyes again, I experimentally concentrated on the pain my foot, which...immediately lessened.

My eyes flew open and I saw the symbol on my hand pulsing. I let go of my ankle. The swelling reduced as I watched, and in no time at all, it was as if I had never been hurt. I swallowed. "That's...I can..." I whispered aloud. Then my head started spinning and I swayed dizzily. The last thing I heard before embarrassingly fainting, was someone shouting something and footsteps pounding on the grass.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

When I woke up, I was lying in a small bed, staring up at an old guy with white hair and glasses.

"Gah!" I choked in surprise.

He jumped and looked down at me disapprovingly. "I drag you all the way back to the castle, and this is how you show your gratitude?"

I glanced around. Link and Alfonzo were lying asleep on beds beside me.

"Oh..." I nodded at Alfonzo, who had a nasty-looking bruise on his temple. "Is he okay?"

The guy, who looked like a professor of some sort, adjusted his glasses and nodded. "He'll be fine."

I stretched my arms out and swung my legs over the side of the bed. Then the earlier events of the day came rushing back to me and I jumped up and ran over to Link, shaking him to wake him up. "Link? Link!"

He groaned and squinted up at me.

I shook him again. "Link!"

"Mia? What-" His eyes came into focus and he sat upright. "Princess Zelda! What happened? Did you save her?"

"No. That creep Cole tried to hit me with this evil power stuff, but accidentally hit Zelda instead." I explained.

The professor guy looked distressed. "What are you saying? The princess is not in the castle?"

I waited impatiently for Link to pull his boots on. "That's exactly what I'm saying! Cole and Byrne grabbed Zelda and took her towards the woods! But... but then this really weird thing happened. Byrne hurt my ankle, and then shot electricity out of his metal hand, trying to kill me. But I think I somehow absorbed his power instead."

Link stood up and straitened his tunic. "What do you mean?"

"Well...my hand now has a weird symbol on it, and my ankle doesn't hurt me anymore." I showed my hand to Link.

"...So...what, you have magical powers now?"

"I-I don't know. That's why I think I should go talk to that tower sage that Zelda was talking about." I told him, pushing past the professor and heading towards the door.

"I'll come with you. Two of us would have a better chance of saving Zelda."

We left the room, leaving a very confused professor behind us and walked towards someone standing in front of a staircase. I stopped when I recognized the guard from earlier.

Link slammed into me from behind.

"Shh!" I hissed, pulling him back the way we came by his sleeve. "I don't think he saw me."

"Is that-"

"Yup."

I was just about to ask Link if we should find another way out of the castle, when something strange caught my eye. A small ball of white light was floating in the air towards the guard. It looked like a fairy without wings. Unexpectedly, the ball grew outwards, and a transparent figure appeared.

"Hello? Can you hear me? I need your help!"

I gasped. "Link, is that...Princess Zelda?"

"Why can't anybody hear me?" Zelda said softly, then floated right through the guard and into the throne room.

"Wait...if Zelda's a ghost, does that mean she's dead?" Link asked, a worried expression on his face. I had wondered the same thing.

"Well, let's follow her!"

"Okay. I'll go distract that guard if you want." Link walked out and started talking to the guard, and I was able to sneak past him when his back was turned.

Link met me in the throne room. We followed Zelda through one of the doors beside the throne.

"I hope she's alright..." Link said as we opened the door to Zelda's room a few seconds later.

The ghostly version of Zelda was floating in the middle of the room and turned around when she heard us come in. "Can...can you see me?" Her voice wavered.

We nodded.

"What happened to me? Why am I like this?" Zelda floated up to the ceiling and flew around in a circle a few times.

"I don't know...but Cole has your body." I told her. "He and that Byrne guy took it."

Zelda looked horrified. "We absolutely must get to the tower!"

"But how? My train is broken and the tracks are gone!" Link pointed out. We were silent for a moment as we contemplated this new dilemma.

"Hey!" I snapped my fingers. "We'll go out the back way!"

"How do you know there's a back way?" Zelda asked suspiciously.

"Isn't there always a back way in these games?"

"Yeah...hey Link, do you still have that map I gave you?" Zelda asked.

Link reached into his pocket or something and pulled out the letter. "Here." He held it out so Zelda could see it.

Zelda floated over to him. I leaned in closer so I could see what she was doing. "...The only back entrance I know of is here," She said, reluctantly pointing somewhere on the map.

"There's probably someone is guarding that door, right?" I asked.

Zelda looked sideways at me. "Yeah...why?"

"Well...don't you think you should get a sword before we go, Link? The guard probably won't let you by without one. And plus, there might be monsters on the way to the tower." I shivered.

"..I guess it would be smart to take safety precautions," Zelda said slowly.

I brightened. "Yeah! And that way, if we run into Cole and Byrne again, Link can totally get them back!"

Link didn't look so sure. "So do you know where I could get a sword, Zelda?"

"I suppose the Captain of the Guard has some spares. He's usually in the training room." She answered. "C'mon, let's go." She floated towards the door and we started following her. "Oh, I almost forgot!"

"Gah!" I shuddered as she turned and flew right through us, to back where her flute was sitting in its stand. "Don't do that! It's creepy!"

"This flute has been passed down through our family for generations." Zelda said. "I think it is meant to protect me, but I can't carry it in this state, so I want to give it to you. Link? Will you take it?"

Link picked up the flute.

"Da na na naaaa!" I sang happily as he struck the familiar 'I got an item!' pose.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

After Link borrowed a sword from the captain guy and trained a little, we finally made it through the castle and to the back door.

"Sorry kids. I can't let you pass with at least one sword between ya!" The guy on duty said. "Oh wait!" He suddenly noticed. "I see you've got yourself a sword!"

I grinned. "So that means we can get past, right?"

"Yeah, I guess."

"Ha ha!" I grinned as he stepped aside and pushed open the door. Link and I walked out into the sunlight, and Zelda floated a little down the grassy path that led away from the castle.

"Let's go find that sage." She said.

We went up to an opening in the middle of a wall of rock. A sticky strand of spider web brushed against my face as I stepped into the dark tunnel, and I shuddered, little goosebumps pricking up on my arm. It was completely dark and damp and musty. It was pretty creepy. "Link? Zelda?" I called as I cautiously inched my way through the darkness. My voice echoed back to me ominously. "L-Link? Z-zelda?"

Miraculously, I managed to find and exit and stumbled into the sunlight again, very close to the Tower of Spirits.

"Eww...!" I felt something crawling on my ear and brushed it away. A small, black spider dropped to the ground and scuttled away before I could stomp on it. "Hey, thanks for waiting up for me you guys..." I said, mainly to Zelda, who was floating beside Link as he trotted towards the tower. Link stopped trotting and turned around.

"Oh, you...made it through the tunnel..." Zelda said in what I thought was a dissapointed manner, though I couldn't imagine why.

"No thanks to you guys..." I shuddered. For all I knew, there were more spiders somewhere in my hair.

"Sorry Mia! I thought you were right behind us!" He said, scratching one of his ears and looking up at me with his big eyes. I felt a little bad for snapping.

"It's okay! Let's just go." I smiled apologetically. Zelda frowned for some reason, compacted into a ball of light, and streaked away.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

She was waiting for us once we caught up to her at the tower.

"What took you so long?" She asked us, sitting up on a large stone statue of a train.

Surprisingly, the inside of the tower looked neat and tidy, considering the state that the top parts were in. There were stone maps hanging on the walls of the round, immense room. And...I think I could feel a weak aura of power surrounding the whole place somehow. Maybe it had something to do with the weird symbol on my hand.

"Hey! Not all of us are dead and can fly, you know." I giggled, coming over to the statue that she was sitting on.

"Ha ha," She said dryly.

Link went over to inspect a nearby map.

I looked at the stone train. "You know, this could be a very important slab of stone. You might not want to be sitting on it. Even though you're a ghost, it might be so old that it could crack under any amount of weight."

"What?!" Zelda gasped.

I was about to repeat myself when someone behind me coughed and said, "She's right, my dear."


	4. The Spirit Tracks

**Chapter Four: The Spirit Tracks**

* * *

"What did you say?" Zelda gasped indignantly as whoever it was who had spoken spoke again from some unknown place.

"I meant that the train is indeed important. It is, in fact the Spirit Train." A small, wise-looking, elderly person in a little chair on wheels of some sort came out of the shadow of the statue. She had kind eyes and most shockingly, a tower of pink hair that curled into a little bun at the top.

"Oh my gosh! Wanda! Where's Cosmo?"

I was met with blank stares.

"You know, '_Timmy is an average kid_...' "

Now everyone just looked confused.

"Uh...never mind."

"My name is Anjean. I am the sage who dwells in this tower." The Wanda lookalike introduced herself, then seemed to notice that Zelda was a ghost. "Whatever happened to you my dear?"

"That Cole guy attacked us." I said. "And this guy who was with him tried to kill me, but this happened instead." I showed her the weird symbol.

"Hmm..." She peered down at it. For a fraction of a second, I thought I saw a flicker of fear in her eyes. I blinked, and her expression was back to normal.

"Am I glad to see you!" Zelda exclaimed, floating down from the stone train. "We need your help!"

Anjean tore her gaze away from my hand and studied Zelda. "Hmm, yes. You do look rather hideous."

"Hideous! How dare you?" Zelda gasped.

I giggled.

"Now, now my dear. Don't get your feathers too ruffled." Anjean chuckled. "We have a more important matter to discuss. Tell me, do you know the story of this tower?"

"Only what I have heard in the folktales..." Zelda muttered. "A long time ago, the spirits of good and the Demon King were embroiled on a never-ending war. In the end, the spirits could not defeat him, so they trapped him in this tower."

I yawned and sat down, leaning back against the stone train. I saw Link looking a little glassy-eyed, so I patted the ground beside me, inviting him to sit down.

"It's not chains or bars that keep him imprisoned, but an energy that glows between the tower and the four temples that surround it." Anjean continued Zelda's story.

Link settled down beside me and tilted his head back, closing his eyes. History haters unite!

"Oh, of course Anjean! Then the Spirit Tracks..." Zelda trailed off.

"Correct, my dear. The Spirit Tracks carry that energy. If the tracks are lost, then the tower's energy will fade. And so will the Demon King's prison."

"Hey...how do these demons stay alive for so long any ways?" I asked. They seemed not to have heard me.

"I believe that is just what that evil pair you spoke of are up to. They want to resurrect Malladus, the Demon King. Right now, my strength maintains his shackles, but it's only a matter of time until they are broken." Anjean became silent for a moment, then resumed her explanation. "Of course, in order to resurrect Malladus, they need a vessel from the royal line of ancient Hyrule. Yes. Malladus requires you in order to return." She pointed to Zelda. "But...only your shell, my dear. It would be the only vessel that he would be able to inhabit."

It then became peacefully quiet. I closed my eyes, and then jumped as the silence was broken.

"Nooooooo!" Zelda shrieked. "The Demon King is going to inhabit my body? That's too disgusting for words!"

I uncricking my neck and opened my eyes to see Zelda flying straight at us. "Ahh!"

"We HAVE to stop them! We can't let that Demon King return!" She said, her eyes stretched wide.

"What do you mean 'we'?" I asked as she hovered in our faces.

"My thoughts exactly." Anjean said calmly in answer to what Zelda had said. "At the top of this tower is your body. And also, the Demon King's spirit. To stop him from taking your body, you must rebuild and fortify his prison. To do this, restore the tracks between the temples and this tower."

Zelda flew over to Anjean. "But how? How do we bring back the Spirit Tracks?"

"You must re-energize the rail maps." Anjean turned, pointing at the wall where I had seen the stone maps hanging earlier. "As you know, the tower is currently filled with evil energy. But if you seek out the four sages, they will each be able to help restore the tracks leading to the temples. The first sage is a Lokomo like myself, one known as Gage. He dwells in the forest realm, so that is the map you will want to take first."

"Of course. Thank you Anjean." Zelda said briefly, then spun back to us. "You have a very important mission ahead of you Link. The kingdom is counting on you. You understand the gravity of the situation, don't you? You must go find the sages and restore the temples to normal! I will wait for you here. That is what princesses have always done!"

"Family tradition?" I inquired, as Zelda leaned closer, a frenzied look in her eyes.

"No need to be scared, just get moving-"

Anjean cleared her throat loudly, drawing Zelda's attention away from us.

"Thank you!" I breathed in relief. It was kind of weird to have a ghost right in your face.

"Sorry to interrupt such an, um, enthusiastic pep talk, but restoring the tower alone would be quite impossible. Link absolutely cannot go alone." Anjean said.

"Oh. Well, I feel terrible asking, but...Anjean, can you go with Link?" Zelda asked.

"But Zelda, she on wheels!" I said.

"Then what should we do? Should we go back and get some guards, or-"

I jumped up in alarm. "No! That's a really bad idea! How about you just go with him?"

"But I wouldn't be able to help him when I'm like this, Mia." Zelda said scornfully.

"Well," Anjean rolled her way over to us. "This kingdom is you responsibility. You must not forget that, dear."

"Yeah. You'll probably find some way to help us." Link said.

"Wait, us?" I asked. "But-but...I'm just trying to get home!"

"Mia, Anjean can't help you unless we fix the tower, and if you helped, it would probably go a lot faster." Link pointed out.

"But..."

Anjean placed an aged hand on my shoulder. "You should go with Link. I sense you will be a great help on his journey."

"But what about my-" I started, then clamped my mouth shut as Anjean's gaze flickered down to my hand, then back up to my eyes.

"I simply cannot help you now. Go with Link and Zelda, Mia. Some things you must find out for yourself." Anjean absentmindedly patted my shoulder.

I stared at her hand. "So the sooner we fix the tower, the sooner I'll get home?"

"That is correct."

"...Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go find that forest Lokomo!" I walked over to the wall, where four stone map pieces were hanging a few inches apart from each other.

"But how are we going to get there without a train? Or tracks to the forest?" Zelda asked while I fingered the rough, worn texture of the maps, and looked for the one with the most trees.

"You may take this." Anjean replied. I carefully unhooked what I assumed was the forest map. For such a thick slab of rock, it was surprisingly light.

"Hey you guys," I tucked the map under one arm and turned around to see Anjean raise her arms in the air and a golden ray of light shine down on the train statue. Little sparkles fluttered to the floor. I stared as the rock transformed into a colorful train, much sturdier looking than Link's previous one. Cool. Anjean lowered her arms and slumped in her chair, looking very spent.

Okay, so now we have a train, but what about...

On a sudden whim, I rushed forward and held the map right side up, catching the few remaining sparkles of light. Bending my face forward, I smiled as the tracks engraved into the surface began to glow.

"Hey guys? I think I found a way to get to that sage!"


	5. The Forest Temple

**Chapter Five: The Forest Temple**

* * *

Before long, we were on board the Spirit Train, traveling on the few tracks that had reappeared. I was sitting on the edge of the conductor platform, swinging my legs in the air and holding the partially re-energized rail map in my lap.

"That was really cool how you used the last of Anjean's power to make some tracks come back!" Link said over the wind, both hands glued to the gearshift lever things. I studied the map and spat a strand of hair out of my mouth.

"Yeah, I just hope it was enough to get us to Gage. According to this map he should be-Oh! Turn left!" I told him. Link switched paths, and the train leaned sharply to the left before leveling out again. "Sorry," I carefully stood up and moved beside him while we were on a relatively straight path. "So, see how there's a weird little station marked 'forest sanctuary'? On the other side of that forest?" I propped the map up on the control panel thing so he could see.

"Uh-huh," Link said, concentrating on the road between glances.

"Well, I'm pretty sure Gage would be there, so we should head that way, savvy?"

"Who put you in charge?" Zelda's voice sliced through the wind. I was mildly surprised to see her flying beside us, and actually keeping up with the train. I guess Princess Sourpuss had decided to finally stop sulking in the passenger car.

"I asked Mia to help," Link glanced up at Zelda. "It's hard to hold that map and control the train at the same time."

"...Oh, well, I trust you know where you are going Mia?" Zelda frowned.

"Uh-huh." I pointed at the dark smudge of trees up ahead. Zelda landed in the car and peered over Link's shoulder at the map.

"Hmm. The Lost Woods." She read aloud.

Seriously, Nintendo?

I smacked my forehead.

"Not another one!"

The light dimmed as we entered the thick forest; the trees blocking out the sunshine. I had a sudden and overwhelming urge to start humming Saria's song.

"Are you sure we are going the right way?" Zelda asked doubtfully. A large skulltula lowered itself down on a web in the trees behind her. I cringed.

"Yes..." My voice wavered as a crossroad appeared in front of us. "Just...can you stop the train for a second?" There had to be some trick to this version of the Lost Woods. I was fairly confident that I could figure it out, seeing as I've been in this kind of situation four or five times.

"Link, just keep going." Zelda flipped her ghostly hair over her shoulder in a very snobbish manner. Link hesitated, and all the while the railway crossing came closer. "We'll probably waste time or get lost if we listen to her." Zelda insisted.

"That's exactly what I'm trying to prevent from happening!" I retorted, grabbing what I hoped was the brake and yanking it back in exasperation. Luckily for Link, I caught him by the arm before he got pitched off the train.

"Mia!" Zelda yelped. "What are you doing?" I held onto the edge of the control panel thing as we came to a hideous stop, not two feet in front of the fork in the tracks.

"Zelda, I know all about the Lost Woods, a lot more that you do. If we don't take the right paths, we'll never make it out."

"That's ridiculous!" Zelda huffed. "They're just woods!"

"Fine," I snapped. "Go ahead! See how well that goes for you!" More than a little pissed off, I slid down and sat on the dirty floor of the engine car.

"Okay then, Link, can you start the train?" I glared into the air as Zelda turned her back on me, then jumped as a large spider dropped in front of my face.

"Yeaagh!" Terrified, I raised my hand and zapped the disgusting thing, while picturing it dying a violent and hideous death. Although death may have been to good for it...

It twitched a few times and disintegrated into a small evil cloud.

Hate. Spiders. Hate with a capital 'H'. I shuddered in disgust.

"Did you just..." Zelda looked back and forwards between me and Link with wide eyes.

"Yes. That's also what I needed to talk to Anjean about, Princess." I said tiredly. "Somewhere in my scrummage with Byrne, there was a power exchange or something. I don't know. What I do know is that I can heal injuries, cause people with low brain capacity to fall asleep, and shoot freaky electricity out of my hand. So far." I gestured to where the spider had disappeared. Zelda stared at my hand.

"Wow. You must be really freaked out." She said softly, looking a little sorry for me. I stood up and retrieved the map, which had wedged under some sort of lever.

"Look," I sighed. "We all need to get the tower fixed for some reason or another. Link needs the tracks in order to drive his train, you need your body back, and I need to get home. It's only gonna get harder from here on out, trust me. Especially if we can't work well together."

Surprisingly, Link and Zelda both looked like they were paying attention. Whoa.

"What I'm trying to say, is that I'll stick with you guys, but only if we can all get along. Capich?" I stuck out my fist. Link grinned and stacked his on top of mine. "Zelda?" I peeked over at her just in time to see a look of determination come over her face.

"Let's do it!" She held her fist over ours and we all threw our hands in the air. "Yeah! G-force!" I cheered, being careful not to drop the map. "Now about these woods..."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

With a little bit of concentrating, I was able to detect a faint aura radiating from certain tracks. I conveniently used my newly enlightened senses to direct us through the accursed woods to a small clearing. Link pulled into the even smaller station, and I jumped out.

"Dude! If only it was that easy in all the other games," I said as Link and Zelda disembarked. "Nice driving , by the way." I complimented Link as we all headed towards a closed door in a rock wall, our feet swishing through the overgrown grass.

"Thanks." Link blushed slightly. A brilliant blue butterfly flew past Zelda, landing on my finger when I held it out. It tickled as it inspected me with it's feelers.

"Hey, look at all those statues!" Zelda flew ahead of us. Placed a few feet away from each other was a ring of statues in a semi-circle around the doorway. They all had faces, but not all of them were facing the inside. I walked up to one and inspected in for strange markings or anything. Nothing.

"What do you think these are for, Mia?" Link wandered over to the sealed door. I shrugged,

"They might have something to do with that big door you are standing in front of," I replied, hiking up my jeans and joining him at the entrance. "Perhaps we should knock." I rapped on the door a few times. My knuckles came away covered with green moss. "And perhaps the map lied."

"Guys! Look at this!" Zelda was hovering in front of a sign of some sort on the wall. Closer inspection revealed it was a picture of the statues with writing along the bottom.

" 'Draw a line between the two statues whose gazes meet'." Link read. I turned and regarded the real statues, easily picking out the only ones that were facing each other.

"Okay, well that would be those two," I pointed at the correct statues on the picture. "Does anyone have a pen?"

"Why a pen?" Zelda asked.

"Well the instructions say to draw a line between them, right?" It occurred to me that this was probably a part of the game that required the use of a stylus.

"Maybe it means like this," Link put his finger on the one statue and dragged it across to the other one. We all jumped as there was a muffled boom and the door slid downwards, into the earth and out of sight. A soft, flickering glow shone from the revealed chamber.

"Nice." I held up my hand for a high five. Link complied, and we all walked into the cave, at which in the center sat a Lokomo in another chair with wheels. Like Anjean, he was short and had funky hair; a big green afro.

"Hello, we're looking for the sage of the forest. Are you Gage?" Zelda asked. I wonder if he would be able to see her.

"Welcome! Welcome! Yes, I am Gage. And you must be the youngsters trying to restore the Spirit Tracks!" The Lokomo extended his arms in greeting, speaking in a loud, boisterous voice.

"Um, yes," I held out the map tentatively. "We were told you could help us get to the temple-"

"Yes, of course. In order to restore the tracks that will get you to the temple, we must perform a duet together using the sacred Lokomo instruments."

"...What?" In no way am I talented with musical instruments. Don't even get me started on my first, and also final, year of violin lessons.

Gage rolled over to a wall, retrieved the cello-type thing that was lying there, and rolled back.

"You! Young lad in green! You have the Spirit Flute, do you not?" I nudged Link forwards, relieved that he was the one doing the whole duet thing and not me.

"..." Link rummaged around in his tunic and produced the flute Zelda had given him way back when.

"Excellent! Now then, shall we began?" Gage positioned his cello in front of himself and grasped the bow, looking at Link expectantly.

"Y-you mean now? Right now?" Link gulped.

"Wait a second," Zelda interjected. "Are you saying that my flute is a sacred Lokomo instrument? Why didn't I know anything about this?"

"Did Anjean not tell you about how she entrusted the Spirit Flute to your ancestors?" Gage arched a bushy eyebrow.

"No..."

"You should ask her sometime," Gage chuckled at some private joke, then cleared his throat. "Now, where were we? Ah yes! Restoring the maps' energy. Come no, my lad. I'll began by teaching you how to play." Link nervously walked forwards, clutching the flute tightly in both hands.

"Good luck Link!" Zelda smiled, coming over beside me. "You know," She murmured as Link and Gage began to practice. "It really should be me playing that flute."

"He'll do fine. It can't be more difficult than an ocarina," I reassured her, looking up as the sounds of practice stopped.

"Fine, fine. Now it goes me, you, me, you. In that order, so don't you mess up, you hear? and don't be confused by my part. Ready?" Gage played a few notes that echoed around the chamber and sound deep, rich, and...green. It reminded me of the forest; in my mind I could see trees and leaves and curling vines. Weird. Then Link joined in, and his flute blended with the cello so perfectly that I held my breath and closed my eyes as the melody bathed the air.

It was over much too soon. I opened my eyes and saw Gage putting his cello back against the wall.

"Wow." Zelda breathed. "That was amazing, Link! You're a natural!" I nodded enthusiastically, not bothering to be bothered by Zelda's nauseatingly sweet tone of voice. Specially reserved for Link, it seemed.

"Well done, m'boy. The tracks to the temple have been restored!" Gage pointed at the map I was holding. Sure enough, more tracks were lit up; glowing with a glow-y light.

"Thank you so much Gage!" Zelda said. "Now we can get to the temple! Let's go you guys!"

"Take care! The forest temple can be a very dangerous place!" Gage called as we all made our way towards the entrance. I paused before following Link and Zelda outside.

""Just out of curiosity," I looked back at Gage. "How come we can see Zelda and no one else can?"

"Well, you see...Zelda has...sacred power flowing through her veins..." Gage scratched his head, not looking at me.

"...Okaaay, but that doesn't explain why only a select few can see her."

"You do realize that you friends are waiting for you?" Gage said, in a lame attempt to change the subject.

"You don't know, do you? Aren't you supposed to be a sage?" I snorted.

"Aren't you supposed to be heading to the temple?"

"...Fine. You win. But this conversation is not over! I'll be back!" I called as I walked out of the cave.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\

"Are you okay Mia? You've been really quiet." Link asked, peering over at me. I was standing with my face to the wind, my hair blowing out behind me.

"Enjoy it while you can."

"Hey look! The Forest temple!" Zelda shouted as we neared a giant tree with thick, gnarly branches that reached high into the sky. At it's base was what looked like the temple alright, and we were heading for the entrance. "Remember what Gage said," Zelda reminded us.

"...To find out how old Anjean is?" I grinned. " 'Cause apparently she was around to give the flute to your ancestors."

"What I was going to say was that the forest temple is dangerous!"

"Aww, it's only the first temple." I said as we drove inside. "How bad can it be?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

After walking through the damp, eerily silent dungeon, we discovered a tall staircase that led to a platform at the very top of the tree. The wind whistled through the massive branches. The massive branches blocked what would have been a fantastic view of the country side. And the door at the top of the stairs slammed shut, leaving us stranded.

"Okay. So, what no-" A loud, screeching roar interrupted me midway through the question, and the branches above our heads bent and swayed wildly in a sudden and powerful wind. Even more sudden-lier, a ginormous horned beetle with plates of armor covering the front of it's body hovered over us and began to descend. The powerful downstrokes from it's wings ripped the leaves from the branches and sent them swirling through the air. "I take it back!" I yelled as the creature gave another screech and landed on all four legs with a thud.

If something like this was the first boss, I shudder to think what the others would be like.

The beetle charged, attempting to spear us on it's horn. I grabbed Link's hand and pulled him out of the way, earning an angry roar.

"C'mon kid! What are you waiting for? Go get it with your sword!" I dodged a thick leg as it came inches in front of my face and actually sunk into the ground, throwing up splinters of wood that stung my leg.

"I can't!" Link hacked at the beetle's leg and face. "The armor's too thick!" I rolled out of the way of yet another vicious horn thrust and came up a little behind it. Unlike the front, the beetle's back side was free of armor; I could see it's soft, purple insides pulsing behind a protective purple cloud of gas.

"Link!" I screeched. "It's backside is it's weakness!" Maybe I'd make a pretty good Navi.

"Okay!" Link screeched back.

"But it's surrounded by-" I wasn't looking where I was going and ran into a branch that curved inwards. "-Poisonous gas." I finished, finding myself lying on my back, staring up at the branch that had knocked me over. "Ow..." I rubbed my forehead. The beetle made another unpleasant noise, not unlike the bell back at school.

"Mia!" Link was coughing. "I can't get to it!"

Oh great. I shook my head, then noticed something hanging on the branch above me. Standing on tiptoe, I pulled it off of a small hook and saw that it was a pinwheel thing of some sort.

Wait...a pinwheel...

Excitedly, I blew into one end, causing a rush of wind to come out of the other end. Aha!

"Link! Use this!" I ran closer and tossed him the pinwheel thing. He sheathed his sword and caught it, striking a pose.

"You got the pinwheel thing!" I sang. "Now use it to get rid of the gas! I'll distract it!"

"Gotcha!" Link dashed to the left, attempting to get behind, and the beast followed him. Until I zapped it on the horn.

The beetle loomed over me and reared up on it's hind legs angrily.

"Uh, could you hurry it up a bit over there Link?" I stuttered as the thing spat a bunch of spiky balls at me that exploded once they hit the floor. In response, Link sent a blast of wind at the beetle's butt, causing the poison to break up and disintegrate into the air. Stunned, the insect wobbled slightly on shaky legs.

"HAAA!" Link threw the pinwheel thing aside and plunged his sword into the creature's abdomen.

"Screeeeee!" The beetle shrieked in agony as Link sliced up its' insides and I watched on in disgust. Link drew back his sword and plunged it deep into the beetle, all the way up to the hilt. The monster 'screee-d" once more, it's limbs spasming violently before exploding, spewing guts and bits of armor all over the place.

"Gross! Oh god, gross!" I complained wiping yellow gunk off of me as Zelda popped up out of nowhere. She had conveniently managed to avoid the temple altogether.

"I never want to see something that disgusting ever again!" She exclaimed.

"Better throw out all your mirrors, then." I muttered in jest.

"Good job getting rid of it, Link."

"Ah-hem. AH-HEM." I coughed.

"...You too Mia. I wish I could have been more help,"

"Oh yes. That's why you were hiding the whole time." I said, taking the pinwheel thing that Link handed to me. Zelda didn't get a chance to reply, because there was a loud rumble and a pillar-type thing rose out of the ground in the middle of the room. There were gears around it's base that began turning with a clank, and a huge green gem, in the shape of an inverted triangle floated down from the sky. The moment it touched the pillar, a white light shone outwards from it, so bright I had to cover my eyes with my arm. The door to the stairs opened, and Link and I raced down them as the light got too bright to stand, Zelda following behind us.

"Look! Something's happening to the tracks!" She exclaimed as we ran up to the train. A blue, pure energy was growing and moving along the tracks, crackling and sparking as it traveled out of the temple.

We followed the blue spark through the forest and back to the Tower of Spirits, where it surged ahead and crawled up the side of the tower, extending bolts of electricity up into the air. The part of the tower that was floating the closest to the base was drawn by the blue tendrils and landed back on the base with a muffled boom. Leaving three parts floating in the air.

"One down, three to go!"


	6. An Unexpected Meeting

**Chapter Six: An unexpected meeting**

* * *

"Anjean! Anjean! We restored the Forest Temple!" Zelda said happily as we pulled into the tower.

"We?" I muttered as Anjean rolled over to us, holding another rail map.

"Well done you three. Thanks to you, the Snow Rail Map has started glowing. New tracks have appeared!" Anjean handed me the map and I swapped the new one for the old one.

"So I'm assuming we have to find another sage in order to get to the next temple?"

"Yes. A Lokomo by the name of Steem," Anjean answered me. "But be careful. The temple is often surrounded by mysterious and fierce snowstorms. I wish you luck!" She waved to us as Link started the train.

"Wait! We're going right now? Right after we beat the Forest Temple?" I exclaimed.

What is this?

"There's no time to loose," Was Anjean's sensible reply as we chugged towards the field.

"What? Not even a snack?"

/\/\/\\\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The moment we exited the tower, a large group of wild boars surrounded us. The train lurched from side to side as Proof-That-Gang-Bullying-Works took turns ramming into us.

"Ahh! I don't think that the train can last much longer!" Link cried.

I tried shocking the pigs with my hand, but it was hard to aim when the darn things kept on ramming us.

"Um, maybe we should stop at the castle and see if Alfonzo can help us with the train." Zelda suggested before shrinking into ball form again.

"The cocky guy who got his ass kicked? Yeah, I don't think he's gonna be much help guys," I remarked, holding onto the railing for dear life.

"It's worth a try," Link gritted his teeth and pulled into the Castle Town station. The gang of pigs wandered off. No fun attacking a non-moving target, I guess.

Zelda circled around Link and I a few times, still in ball form.

"How about Link and I go get Alfonzo, and you wait here?" She suggested.

"Fine by me," I shrugged, distracted by the food smells that were drifting from the market area. At least I wouldn't have to deal with any guards.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

I strolled in and out of the shops and around different vendors selling various vendors selling various stuff as I waited for Link and Zelda and Alfonzo. Stopping to inspect some topaz earrings, I was hit by the most amazing smell, one that made my stomach growl. Eagerly pivoting on foot I tracked the smell to a food cart selling something called knish, which the sign described as basically hash browns. The little old lady minding the cart beamed up at me when she saw me eying the steaming potato cakes.

"One for five rupees." She said, bobbing her head.

"Oh..." I sighed in disappointment. "I don't have any money."

So much for a snack.

"Well..." The old crone studied me with her hawk-like eyes.

"You seem like a nice girl..."

...Or maybe Iggy (from 'Maximum Ride') -like eyes. You know, blind?

"...So if you find my precious kitten, I'll give you two for free." I squinted, trying to decide if she was for real.

"...You want me to find...you cat?" I asked incredulously.

"Why how sweet of you to offer!" The knish lady smiled.

Damn it.

"He ran off just moments ago. In that direction. And he usually likes to hide in trees."

Hunt for a cat, get free lunch. Don't find the cat, go hungry.

"Fine," I told the knish lady, heading in the direction she had pointed. "I'll go get you cat for you." To my relief, I only had to walk to the end of the street before I spotted a huge tree at the centre of the square. Squinting at some of the lowest branches, I could just make out a small, quivering ball with fur that stuck in all different directions. Bingo. Skirting around the crowd, I trotted up to the tree and stood on tiptoe, reaching up to try to grab the kitten. "Here kitty, kitty." I said softly, trying not to scare it.

"Mrr." The kitted peered at me with huge, yellow eyes and didn't move an inch. Gritting my teeth, I strained upwards as far as I could. My fingers just brushed it's ear before it scooted backwards an inch. "Mrr."

"C'mon you stupid-" I trailed off as someone soundlessly reached up and plucked the kitten off the branch, gently lowering it to my level. The back of my neck prickled, and I turned, my eyes widening as I took in the long ponytail, the face-covering scarf, and the gauntlet.

Byrne.

A small trickle of fear turned my spine to ice, but I forced my voice to remain calm.

"Come to finish me off?" I chuckled humorlessly, inching backwards till my back touched the rough bark of the tree. Byrne leaned against the trunk and casually glanced around at the hustling townsfolk, the colorful flower boxes, and the laughing kids who chased each other. It occurred to me that he probably wouldn't attempt anything with so many witnesses and sheltered children. While holding a cat. I hoped.

"If I had wanted to kill you," He gazed down at me with his dark eyes and held the quivering fur ball out. "You would have never left that field."

I edged closer and warily took the kitten from him, cradling it against my chest.

"...So Cole thinks you killed me...and you didn't why?" Byrne looked slightly troubled.

"Because you are not Lokomo, yet you seem to posses a natural ability to harness power from those around you."

So that's what happened.

"So what you're saying is that you WERE trying to kill, or at least harm me in some way, but you couldn't?"

"Tell me," Byrne left the trunk of the tree and moved closer, causing me to back away. I don't usually feel threatened by most people, but with his hight and strength, Byrne was pretty darn intimidating. I mean, I broke my foot. On his back. "How did you do that?"

"L-look," I stuttered. "I don't know how it happened, okay? Do you want it back? Is that it?" It was cool having this mystical power and all, but I'd rather he take it and leave us alone.

"...Perhaps you were meant to assist Cole and I instead of the spirits of good."

I hadn't realized I was squeezing the kitten until it reached up and batted at my neck with it's sharp little claws.

"W-what?"

"If you were to join forces with us, we would be able to resurrect Malladus much sooner. He would wipe out all the foolish servants of the spirits and the world will be ours!" Byrne's eyes were glazed over at the prospect of ultimate power, and I used that opportunity to back away slowly. Power hungry, much?

"Sorry, but I'm kinda already committed to the 'foolish servants' team." I said, very aware that I was in the process of making an enemy here. "And plus," I added, smirking a little. "You didn't offer any cookies." For a second, I thought Byrne was really going to finish me off, but I turned around anyways and started heading towards the knish lady. When I peered back at him a few seconds later, he was gone. Great. Now I'm going to be paranoid forever. I hurried back to the knish lady and thrust the cat into her arms, glancing over my shoulder as the hairs on the back of my neck stood up again. Nothing was there that I could see.

"Why dearie, you're looking a bit pale! Are you alright?" I pushed my hair behind my ear and nodded, not looking at her. "These for me?" I asked, pointing at the two knishes on the counter.

"Yes, as I promised, and take this too." She held out a steaming mug of peppermint tea. It was probably poisoned, or something. I tucked the paper-wrapped cakes in the waistband of my jeans and took the mug from her, inhaling the fragrant steam.

"Thank you?" The scent of peppermint cleared my head and had a calming effect. I vowed to dump it out later.

"Now you go on and scat!" I took a deep breath and smiled, heading back towards the train station and putting my creepy encounter with Byrne out of my head. Even though I was pretty sure it wouldn't be the last.

* * *

**Anyone else notice that nothing really happened in this chapter...? *Le gasp* **

**Oh my god, this was a filler chapter!**

**To make it up to you, I'll update really soon, m'kay?**


	7. The Snow Temple

**Chapter Seven: The Snow Temple**

* * *

Upon nearing the train, I immediately noticed a new addition, set between the engine and passenger car. A canon. And a big one at that. Yay! No more stupid interference from stupid pigs! It looked like Alfonzo was putting some final touches on the cannon while Link sat in the shade cast by the train, looking bored and hot. As in because it was nearing midday and the sun was shining. Zelda was who knows where, probably in ball form.

"Look Mia, we have a canon now!" Link greeted me, not bothering to stand up.

"So I see," I hopped off the platform, my feet crunching as I landed on the gravel. "Here, have a knish." I handed the still-warm package to Link and wandered over to where Alfonzo was tinkering away.

"Thanks!" Link called.

"...There you go, Link! With this canon, you should be able to break through rocks as well as kill enemies." Alfonzo turned, holding an oily rag in one hand and some sort of wrench-thing in the other. "Oh, hi Mia!"

"So this thing can smash rocks? How does it work?" I asked, 96.4% sure that Link wouldn't be able to use it while driving. With Zelda indisposed, that would leave...

"Oh, it's um, easy." Alfonzo said. "You just stand on this little platform-" I hoisted myself up on the platform attached to the back of the cannon and grasped the handles on either side. "-Aim where you want to go-" Using the handles, I swiveled the canon from side to side, aiming at imaginary pigs. Or chancellors. "And pull that lever along the side to fire!" Alfonzo finished.

"Cool!" I grinned. "Hey Link; I nominate myself as cannon-handler!" I got a good grip on the lever and used it to help lower me back down to the ground. Duh. I cringed as a cannonball was shot somewhere in the direction of the castle, landing with a muffled boom. Shouts and screams rose from the village and Alfonzo and Link both looked over at me.

"Well," I said brightly as smoke began to slowly spiral into the air. "Time to go. Alfonzo? Are you coming with us?" Alfonzo hesitated as Link rushed to start the engine and I climbed back on the canon platform.

"As much as I would love too...I should probably go and explain everything."

"Oh," I nodded in understanding. "So no one thinks that it's World War II all over again?"

"You shouldn't be allowed to live," Zelda muttered.

"Thanks. I love you too."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

I realized later that the World War II of Hyrule or wherever probably hasn't happened, and probably would happen only if Malladus was resurrected. An icy rain began to fall, turning to flakes of snow as we drove closer to the snow realm. I shivered in my tank top.

"MIA! UP AHEAD! ROCKS!" Zelda's voice came out of nowhere and I nearly jumped out of my rapidly freezing skin.

"Sheesh! You don't have to yell," I stood up and pointed the canon at a large boulder inconveniently sitting in the middle of the tracks. Two cannonballs later, the rock was blasted to pebbles, and according to the map, we had officially entered the Snow Realm. Which would explain all the snow, I guess. My teeth chattered and I hugged my knees to my chest. "Are we there yet?" I shivered.

"You're the one with the map," Zelda spoke again.

"Oh yeah," I pulled it out from a convenient little spot I had discovered between the lever and the base of the canon. "Do you see a dark, long, probably spider-infested tunnel up ahead? If so, that's where the Snow Sanctuary is." Joy.

"The tunnel with the huge, locked gate in front of it?" Link asked.

...What?

I stood up and peered around the side of the train ant a thick, iron gate blocking the entrance.

"...I get the feeling that this Steem guy likes his privacy."

"Mia, maybe we should go talk to the locals to see if any of them can open the gate. It's probably locked for a reason." Link said, turning the train right and away from the door.

"...You're probably right...I guess," I lifted my hand off the canon ball lever, slightly disappointed. "It's just that...I need to practice firing this thing for when we run into Cole again. Or annoying postmen."

"I'm sure you'll get plenty of practice shooting dolphins or something as equally as heartless once we get to the Ocean Realm." Zelda popped up and sat on the roof of the passenger car.

"Do I look like I would randomly injure poor, defenseless animals? Oh wait. I did almost kick you back in castle town."

"Hey!" Zelda exclaimed after a few seconds.

"Just kidding, Zelda. Shouldn't you be used to me by now?"

"Well," Zelda frowned and compacted into a ball, not for the last time. "If you ever meet anyone who's able to put up with you, introduce them to me. We can have tea. And maybe take a ride on a giant purple fire keese." Wow, somebody's out of character. Link blew the train whistle and shifted gears; the train began to slow down.

"Hey Mia, what's the name of this place?" Link jumped down from the train and landed waist-deep in a pile of snow. I checked the map and shoved it back underneath the canon before jumping down with the same results as Link. Der.

"Anouki village. I think. " I heaved myself out of the snow and onto a path that led towards the village. Melting ice slid into my shoes-which I just now noticed appeared to be the same kind of boots as Link- and I shuddered. Link struggled free of the persistent snow bank and I wrapped my arms around myself. "Stupid, freezing snow realm," I muttered, brushing snowflakes out of my hair.

"You don't like snow much, do you?" Link matched his steps with mine as I shook my head and hustled towards the nearest igloo-like house, ducking inside.

"AHHH!" I lifted my arm to cover my eyes.

"AHHH!" An Anouki wearing nothing but a dripping towel replied. "WHO ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU IN MY HOUSE?"

"ME! AND I'M JUST LOOKING FOR THE MAYOR OR LEADER OR WHATEVER!"

"WELL I'M NOT THE HONCHO! HONCHO'S HOUSE IS THE FANCY PURPLE ONE ON THE HIGHEST PART OF THE VILLAGE!"

"THANK YOU!" I attempted to back out of the doorway but bumped into a table or something. A vase fell on the floor with a cringe-worthy crash. 'WHY ARE WE YELLING?"

"BECAUSE YOU ARE IN MY HOUSE!"

"WELL YOU SHOULD MAYBE INVEST IN A FREAKING DOOR, THEN!" I turned and sprinted out the doorway, ramming into Link in my haste to get away. Anouki in a towel. That image will haunt me.

"Mia?" Link squeaked, stumbling backwards and nearly falling.

"My eyes..." I moaned.

"Well it's not like you saw anything, right?"

"Too close for comfort." I grabbed Link's wrist and started towing him towards the purple house that hopefully belonged to the honcho guy. A few Anoukis looked curiously at us and I shuddered. Never again would I be able to look at Anoukis the same way. "Wait!" I screeched to a halt in front of the entrance (also doorless). "You go first! Just in case!" Link blinked. "You know, 'cause you're a guy?"

"Okay," Link cautiously went inside and I braced myself for a shriek of horror or something. Not quite wanting to go inside, even though Link hadn't come out screaming, I stood shivering, the tips of my hair freezing into little icicles.

"Aw, to heck with it," I finally muttered and stalked inside just in time to hear an important-looking Anouki finish saying to Link,

"...help with patrol groups." They both turned as I skittered around them and dropped on the floor in front of a crackling fire. "Who are you?" The honcho guy asked as melting snow slid off my hair and made puddles on his floor.

"Me? I'm just Mia." I sighed happily in the warmth of the fire. Me and snow are like flip-flops and socks. Do not go well together.

"She's with me." Link said.

"So I guess ya want the key to the Snow Sanctuary too, huh guy? Er-girl."

"That would be ideal, yes."

"Well, as I just finished telling Link-abou here, I may have forgotten where I put it."

Cricket, cricket.

"...But I might be able to remember if ya help Link-abou organize my village into patrol groups." Honcho rapidly added.

"What? US organize YOUR village into patrol groups? And here I thought I was lazy!"

"How else are we going to get that key?" Zelda asked me, her voice sounding slightly echoey, which it did whenever she spoke without being visible.

"By doing this." I stood up and walked over to the doorway, reaching up and snagging the thick key that was hanging above it. It was heavy and looked out of place in this colorful village of muted purples and blues. Not to mention that none of the houses had doors anyways. "Thanks!" I smirked and trotted out of the house.

"But...but...?" Honcho protested weakly.

"Mia!" Link said, running after me. "Don't you think we should help him?"

"Have you been talking to Zelda or something?"

"It's not very nice to just take the key and leave!" Against my better judgement, I turned to see his eyes trained on me, big and hopeful and sparkly.

"Uh..."

"Please?" Link's Bambi eyes got a bit bigger, completely crushing every ounce of will power I had left.

"Ugh, fine." I groaned, smacking my forehead. I'm a sucker when it comes to Bambi eyes.

Link grinned and racing back to where Honcho was sulking. "We're gonna help you after all!"

Honcho perked up. "Really? That's great!" He chuckled happily.

"Hang on a second," I said. "This isn't a done deal yet."

"Oh great." Zelda muttered.

"...Whattya mean?" Honcho asked suspiciously.

"I mean," I pushed some hair out of my eyes, "That I give the key to Link, and he goes to the Snow Sanctuary while I stay here and do the whole patrol thing. That way, you'll get your patrols and we'll not waste time, like we are by talking right now."

"I guess that could work..." Honcho hesitated.

"Lovely." I tossed the key to Link. "And you also have to lend me a jacket."

"...Done." Honcho disappeared into his house and returned with a thick blue coat, identical to the one he was wearing.

"Bye Mia!" Link waved and dashed back to the train, his boots throwing clumps of snow up behind him.

"The map's underneath the canon!" I called, snuggling into the soft, plushy material on the inside of the jacket.

"Ya'd best get started," Honcho said, much to my annoyance. "We Anouki are very picky, so it might take a while for ya to find good matches for everybody."

"So now you tell me? After Link leaves with the train and I'm stuck in the village?"

Honcho shrugged and waddled back inside. "Good luck!"

"Hmph." I muttered, heading towards the nearest house. And so it began.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\\/\/\

"What? Are ya done already?" Honcho looked up from a pot he was stirring.

"What do you mean 'already'? It's been, like half an hour." I handed him a piece of paper I had...borrowed from another Anouki. He looked my choices over briefly and frowned.

"Ya sure that these are the right matches?"

"Oh yes. Definitely." I smiled sweetly.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

~Flashback~

_"Okay," I muttered aloud, scribbling on a piece of paper I had...borrowed from Bulu. "Kofu doesn't like big horns, and the only Anouki who has small horns is Yefu, but Yefu doesn't like Anoukis who wear the color blue. The only other Anouki who wears yellow is Yeko, who hates facial hair. Huuuh? And how the hell am I supposed to pair five Anoukis into groups of two?"_

~End Flashback~

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Hmm...Are ya SURE ya didn't just put down random names?" Honcho was still inspecting the paper.

"I am shocked and appalled that you would even suggest that I would do something like that!" I gasped.

"...Well, okay...if you say so..." Honcho scratched his horns. "Wait...why is Kunu paired up with a woman?"

"Well! This has been fun, but I think I hear Link's train whistle. Gotta go! Bye!" I jogged out of his house and down to the train station, where Link was already waiting. "Wow, you're done already?" I asked, hopping up on the canon platform.

"It has been half and hour," Zelda said.

"Tell me about it," I sighed. "Are the tracks to the temple back?"

"Yes, no thanks to you."

"Ouch, Zelda. I paired the Anoukis up, didn't I? Speaking of which, we should probably get going before Honcho finds out I paired them randomly."

"You paired them randomly?" Zelda gasped a 'you sinner!' type of gasp. "How could you?"

"Well...you see, this whole lazyness thing started way back in my world when I-"

"Forget it." Zelda muttered and disappeared through the wall into the passenger car.

"Who killed her puppy?" I muttered, then raised my voice. "Hey Link! How was Steem?"

"...Okay, I guess. He did say that he hated kids and wanted to get it over with though," Link turned briefly to hand me the map.

"That must have been fun," I chuckled. "Turn left, then right."

"Um...okay..." Link looked a little worried. The wind started blowing a little harder and I raised my voice above the sound of swirling snowflakes.

"Hmm...that's weird." I rubbed my eyes. "Haven't we passed that clump of trees before?"

"I can barely tell in this storm!" Link shouted, holding onto his hat. The wind whipped through my hair and snatched Honcho's jacket right out of my lap.

"What did Steem say about the Snow Temple? That it's surrounded by magical blizzards or something?" Zelda asked, struggling to keep up with us in the wind.

"Oh g-g-great! It's the Lost Woods all over again!" I shivered.

"Can you use your magic power to find the right path?" Link asked me, his eyes narrowed against the flying chips of ice.

"O-oh yeah!" I closed my eyes and felt for an energy, but came up with zilch. Nada.

"Anything?" Zelda asked after a while. I opened my eyes and tried shooting electricity out of my hand. Nothing. I frowned.

"Guys? Maybe we should see if someone around here can help us."

Link must have picked up on the nervousness in my voice. "What's wrong?" He asked as he turned the train around.

"...I think my power is gone." Maybe Byrne took it after all.

"...Oh." We were all silent as Link successfully maneuvered back out of the blizzard and onto the tracks heading parallel to where the temple should be.

"W-wonderful. Another event adding twenty minutes onto the game time." I sighed.

We didn't have to go far.

"OH MY GOSH! It's the Spirit Train!" Someone shouted as we breezed by them.

"What!" Link pulled the brake and we backed up, stopping beside a blue-haired guy holding a camera and doing some sort of dance.

"Um, hi...we're trying to get to the Snow Temple, but there seems to be a blizzard blocking the way. Do...you have any suggestions?" I asked doubtfully.

"OH EM GEE! You stopped!"

...I was starting to wish we hadn't.

"When I first saw you, I was all like, 'HOLY COW, it's THE Spirit Train!" The guy stopped whipping his head back and forth excitedly to look at Link. "Say, you're that guy who just became and engineer. Link, was it?"

Link nodded warily. "Yes, but can you help us-"

"I'm Ferrus. When it comes to trains, I'm kind of an expert. You know, everyone else is too spooked to take their trains anywhere right now. You just GOTTA tell me where you're headed!"

"The Snow Temp-"

"REALLY?" Ferrus gasped, interrupting Link yet again. "You're heading to the Snow Temple?" Chugga-chugga-WOW!"

" 'Kay Link, let's go." I said out of the corner of my mouth.

"Wait! That place is hard to get to because of the OUTRAGEOUS blizzards!"

"You don't say." I said sarcastically. "Does this layer of ice on my clothes give you a hint as to what we've recently been trying to do?"

"OH! I JUST REMEMBERED!" Ferrus shouted, causing us all to jump and his mock engineer cap to fly off his head. "I have an old map of the tracks around that area. Here, you can have it!"

"Thank you kindly. Now I'm afraid we simply must be going." I inched towards him only to grab the map and inch back.

"Wait! Can I PLEEEEASE take your picture?"

"My picture?"

"Yeah, your picture! It's not every day I see someone come by riding on THE SPIRIT TRAIN!"

"Um, okay..."

"Alright then! Say: 'Locomotive'!" Ferrus pressed the shutter button, and the camera clicked, the flash intensified by the snow.

"Ow..." Link rubbed his eyes.

"See you SOON!" Ferrus said as we prepared to take off.

"What? Why?" I blinked in alarm.

"So I can give you these PICTURES when they DEVELOP!"

"...Oh. I can't...wait..."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Man, that guy need to lay off the wacky cider," I remarked as we finally pulled into the Snow Temple. "Although, his map worked, so he gets a few points."

"Do we really need to see him again?" Zelda sighed.

"Well, we don't NEED to, but we probably will," I said regretfully as Link walked to the front door and threw it open.

"Augh!" A combined stream of ice and fire swirled towards him and he barely managed to close the door on time. The skin on his fingers appeared both slightly singed and frozen.

"What was that?" Zelda gasped.

"Probably the boss," I guessed, cautiously opening the door a crack. What I saw looked far from menacing. "Aww, it's cute!" Opening the door wider, I walked to the center of the room where a cat/fox/raccoon thing sat, it's fluffy tail curled over its feet.

"No! Don't!" Link squeaked as I crouched down and petted its soft fur. It looked up at me curiously and licked my finger with a sandpaper tongue.

"I don't think this thing is the boss, Link. Look how cute and innocent-looking it is!" Link stepped a few feet into the room. Immediately, the animal thing hissed and started to expand, growing larger and larger like a balloon. "Gah!" I scrambled away as it spewed lave and ice at Link, who ran out the door again. As soon as Link left, the thing deflated and calmly walked back over to me, rubbing its head against my knee, begging to be petted.

"Maybe it doesn't like Link because he has a sword," Zelda said from the doorway.

"Aww, do we really have to kill it?" I asked, running my fingers through its thick fur.

"Of course! A boss is a boss!" Zelda said.

Now who's the heartless one?

"Aww..." I whined. Then I got an idea. "Hey." I said to the animal, not knowing if it could understand me. "You could probably get really big, right? You wanna show me? Please?" The animal stared at me, then walked to the middle of the room and started to expand again. "Yeah, that's it," I said softly, hating myself for what I was about to do. "Keep going. Just a little more." When it looked like it was about to burst, I walked over to it and pricked it with a bobby pin I had found in my pocket. There was a small pop, and it was gone-no guts, no smell, no anything. Just me and my guilty conscience. "It was better than shedding unnecessary blood, right?" I said sadly when I saw Link watching at the door.

"What? We went through all that trouble just for that?" Zelda exclaimed as the pillar thing rose in the middle of the room and another inverted triangle, white this time, floated down. "Don't tell me you killed a boss by doing nothing!"

"You know what, Zelda? I think I did."

"And I didn't even have to use this!" Link picked a familiar wooden weapon off the floor. Of course, I only recognized it because it had been in the past five or six Zelda games.

"You got the boomerang!"

"Thanks for that," Zelda rolled her eyes as we walked a few feet back to the train. "Do you realize that we're halfway done now?" I asked excitedly. "There's only two tower pieces left!"

"...Yeah..." Link said.

I glanced curiously at him as we emerged into the sunlight again. The blizzard seemed to have disappeared, thank god, and we could see all the way to the Tower of Spirits, where a blue light flashed up the sides and another piece was drawn back to its original and proper place.


	8. The Ocean Temple

**Chapter eight: The Ocean Temple**

* * *

"You know what's really sad?" Zelda mused as we chugged through the Forest Realm again after making a quick stop at the Tower of Spirits.

"Sugar-free deku juice?" Link guessed.

"That pink dress? Those sensible shoes?" I guessed, chewing on a long blade of grass.

Silence.

"Those 'roses are red' poems?" I tried again.

"What?"

"Those stupid poems that go like: 'roses are red, violets are blue, sugar is sweet and I love you'?"

"Never heard of anything like that before," Link laughed.

"Well they're so darn unimaginative!" I answered in exasperation not directed at Link. "Why can't they ever go like: 'roses are red, violets are blue, if life gives you lemons, throw them back'!"

"Because then, it wouldn't be a poem." Zelda said. "And plus, that doesn't even make any sense."

"It could be a free-verse poem," I countered. "Like: 'to get to the Ocean Realm, you must go through the Forest Realm and cross the bridge at the river'."

"There's no such thing as a 'free verse' poem." Zelda narrowed her eyes. "And that's just repeating what Anjean said."

"Whatever Zelda. Whatever."

"Now I forgot what I was going to say," Zelda sighed.

"Hey guys, what about: 'roses are red, violets are blue, the bridge is broken; we cannot get through'?" Link said.

"That's pretty good Link. Wait... What?" I raised my head. Sure enough, the bridge connecting the two realms was totaled; planks of wood floating in the water and piled everywhere, obscuring the tracks. "Roses are red, violets are blue, why must there be something wrong with every realm, dammit?" I jumped out before the train came to a complete stop and stalked over to the bridge to see if there was anything we could do. If only my freaky unnaural power wasn't mia. **(A/N: As in missing in action! XD)**

"That looks...pretty bad," Link remarked.

"No kidding. At least we're stuck here instead of in the Snow Realm." I muttered.

"Well if you need to get across that bridge, you're going to have to go back to the Snow Realm..." Somebody said from behind us.

"What! There is no freaking way we're going back to the-" I turned, hands on hip and ready for an argument, but stopped ranting when I saw who stood before me. "-snow...realm...OH MA GAWD! It's Linebeck!" I squealed like some crazy, obsessed fangirl.

"Uh, hi?" Linebeck waved.

"Mia? Do you know him?" Link was staring at Linebeck, one hand resting on the hilt of his sword.

"He's only like, my favorite Zelda character ever!"

"What? Zelda game? What? " Link and Linebeck and Zelda all said at the same time.

"Uh...I mean, I'm totally your biggest fan!" I skipped up to Linebeck, unaware that I was being very un-Mia like at the moment and probably freaking Link and Zelda out. "Can I have your autograph?"

"Well!" Linebeck smirked in that trademark arrogant way of his. "It's nice to finally meet a fan! I think I have a picture of myself I can give you among the many back at my house. I'll go get it." Linebeck sauntered back the way he had come and disappeared into a small house. I turned to Link, who was glaring in the direction Linebeck had gone.

"Oh. My. God. I just spoke to Linebeck! Do you know how long I've wanted to do that for?" I gushed. Zelda was silent, probably still in shock.

"Mia...how hard is it to use that cannon?" Link finally said, a steely look on his face. At that moment, Linebeck returned with a picture of himself and a pen.

"Let's see...to my number one fan...?"

"Mia." I provided.

"...Mia. There you go." Linebeck signed his name with a flourish and handed the picture to me. I folded the paper into a square and pushed it deep into my pocket, while giggling a bit like Candace Flynn.

"Sorry to interrupt your..." Link cocked his head as Zelda whispered something in his ear. "...'fangirl moment', but we need to get this bridge fixed. So...fix it, Linebeck." He demanded.

Whoa.

"Who are you and what have you done with Link?" The initial excitement of being in Linebeck's presence wearing off, I ceased my 'fangirl' moment to glare half-heartedly at him.

"Do I look like I fix bridges?" Linebeck folded his arms. If you want to get across, you'll have to go to the bridge worker's house in the Snow Realm and bring him back with you." I frowned, not looking forward to the prospect of more snow and ice. Then I thought of something and brightened.

"It probably takes a long time to fix bridges, right? So we'll be here for a few hours when we come back, right?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

On our way back from getting the Bridge Worker, who (surprise, surprise,) looked exactly like the mechanic from _Phantom Hourglass, _we were flagged down by none other than Ferrus. After recovering from much panicking we found out that all he wanted was to give us the picture that he had taken of us earlier. The one that had developed freakishly fast. Glad that we no longer had any reason to see him ever again, we made our way back to Linebeck's house and the broken bridge.

"Yeah, I can fix it," The Bridge Worker inspected the pile of twisted wood.

"Well thank god. We didn't drive across half the country for nothing." I grumbled, still feeling the icy sting of snow on my arms.

"Great!" Linebeck exclaimed. Apparently he had been standing in the same spot the whole time.

"So, combined with the work I did on your house a few weeks ago, I think 5000 rupees should cover the cost nicely." If Linebeck had been drinking something, he would have done a spit-take.

"Wh-what?" He spluttered, turning white. Link covered a grin with his hand.

"Unless, of course you don't need this bridge fixed," The Bridge Worker suggested. Linebeck was silent for a moment, and I could almost see the gears in his head turning. I eyed his suspiciously, multiple scenarios from the previous game coming to mind. ('I have to...uh...polish the...rudder,' anyone?) Then, Linebeck brightened, his color returning to normal. Oh gods.

"Well, lucky for me, these two kids have kindly agreed to pay the bill, haven't you kids?"

"What? Why would we do something like that?" Link gasped.

"Well! I'm glad this bit of unpleasantness is settled. If you need me I'll be in my house. Godspeed!" And with that, Linebeck made a hasty retreat, dashing away and slamming the door of his house behind him.

"Meh, I don't really care who pays me as long as I get paid," The Bridge Worker lifted a large and scary-looking mallet thing onto his shoulder and walked over to the bridge, leaving the three of us in stunned silence. Correction: stunned silence for about five seconds.

"Why that sonuva-" I started.

"That louse, cheap-" Zelda looked mad enough to punch someone.

"I think I just discovered what 'justified homicide' means." I announced, wondering how we were going to find enough rupee-holding grass to cut down.

"Not so great now, is he?" Link said.

"Well, Groose has just moved up on my list of favorite Zelda characters, that's for sure." I answered. "This Linebeck is even worse than the last one!"

"Last one?"

"5000 rupees? How on earth are we going to come up with that?" Zelda was still horrified.

"Easily." I stomped over to Linebeck's front door and threw it open. Using the advantage of surprise, I grabbed the front of Linebeck's shirt and tried to shove him backwards.

"Whoa, hey!" Linebeck grunted. "Look, I understand you're crazy about me, but -"

"I am not crazy about you!"

"Well, you were certainly acting that way," Zelda smirked.

"I was not! I just got...carried away." I clarified. "And even if I had been crazy about you, I certainly wouldn't be now!" I said to Linebeck. Recovering from our barging in, Linebeck pushed me off of him and adjusted his hat.

"Then what is your problem? This isn't about the money, is it?"

"You think?" I crossed my arms and raised on eyebrow menacingly.

"Alright, alright, calm down. I have this great idea of where we can get the money."

"We?" I asked in disbelief.

"Anyways, before he died, my grandfather left me a letter with a map leading to a rare regal ring that is buried somewhere around this station. From what I hear, this regal ring is worth a cool 8000 rupees at least! So if you can follow these instructions and find the ring, we'll all be happier, see?" Linebeck thrust a brown, crinkled envelope at me before I could protest.

"But-"

"Never mind that! Good luck!" Linebeck grabbed Link by the back of his tunic and me by my arm and escorted us out the door, slamming it behind us again.

"I...am going to kill him." Link said.

"You'll have to get in line. Let's just find this ring and get out of here." I sighed, grabbing a shovel that was leaning against the side of the house and handed it to Link.

"Hey, what did you mean by 'This Linebeck is worse than the last one'?" Zelda asked suddenly as I unfolded the ancient-looking paper and blew a blanket of dust off of it.

"Uhhhh." I stalled, pretending to study the map intently. Thankfully, I was saved by Link, who was peering at the map over my shoulder.

"Hey! I think that 'X' is right behind Linebeck's house!" He pointed at the big, red 'X' marked on the map.

"...Well, what do you know. You're right, Link." I tossed the map over my shoulder as Link ran over to the spot that supposedly held a regal ring and started throwing shovelfuls of dirt over his shoulder. "That was easy!'

"I bet it turns out to be a map to where Linebeck's leftovers from breakfast are buried," Zelda said.

"Well aren't you just the harbinger of doom?"

"Guys!" Link had finally slowed his frenzied shoveling and emerged from a shallow hole with a box in his hand. "I think I found it!" Clearly he was as eager to get out of here as the rest of us.

"Yay." I exclaimed, following his dirt-coated form into Linebeck's house.

"There. You have your ring." Link said flatly, dumping the contents of the box on the counter.

"Hey, good job there, squirt! I didn't think you'd actually find it!" Linebeck picked up the jewel encrusted ring and held it up to catch the light streaming through the doorway. "This thing is definitely worth 8000 rupees!"

"Oh really?" We all turned as the Bridge Worker sauntered up to us and snatched the ring out of Linebeck's fingers. "Could have fooled me. Well enjoy your bridge. Out." We watched him go in silence.

"I don't know how he's going to get anywhere without a train," I said. Linebeck had bigger problems.

"That ring was almost twice as much as I owed! Dammit!"

"And we are out of here!" I turned without a backwards glance in Linebeck's direction. "Poof!"

"I'm glad you're back to you're normal self," Link grinned, obviously glad that I was no longer as interested in Linebeck.

"Hey, you should have enjoyed it while you could."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

~The Ocean Sanctuary~

"_I've gone to visit my sky friends at Papuchia Village -Carben."_

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

~Papuchia VIllage~

"Why do all these Lokomos have train-related names?" I frowned, wondering why I hadn't noticed this before.

"Oh...they do, don't they?" Zelda floated in the air above our heads, her hair blowing in the soft sea breeze. "That is kind of strange."

"Man, I wish we could go swimming," Link sighed longingly. A few random villagers walked around, carrying fish and paying us little attention.

I glanced at him. "Who says we can't?"

Link stared up at me very seriously, then suddenly took off towards the town's small beach. "Race Ya!"

I grinned and chased after him down to the surf, gasping in surprise as a whitecap splashed me, totally soaking my jeans from the knees down. Link's hat and boots and tunic were scattered on the sand; I kicked off my own boots, rolled up my jeans and tied my shirt into a sort of bikini top before diving into the foamy waves after Link. The water felt cool, my hair floated around me, and the salt stung as I opened my eyes, looking around for Link. A hand grabbed my ankle and I spat out half of my air, even though I should have expected something like that. I whirled around to see Link swimming away, bubbles of laughter streaming behind him.

"I'm so going to get you for that!" I swam after him, my words garbled. Streams of sunlight sliced down through water, illuminating colorful bunches of pink and yellow corals on the sea bed. It was incredibly pretty, I had to admit. Schools of fish surrounded me, nibbling softly on my toes and I caught up to Link, poking him in the side. He jerked backwards and then swam upwards, the rest of his air bubbling out all around him. Tasers! A wonderful invention! I kicked my way up to the surface and treaded water while Link recovered.

"Told ya!" I grinned as he gasped, his blonde hair plastered to his face.

"Did you see the Goth fish?" Link finally said.

"Goth fish? No. Where?" I spun in circles, but the way the sun was glinting off the waves made it impossible to see anything in the water.

"I'll show you. Come on!" Taking a deep breath of air, Link sunk below the surface. I followed him and he took my hand, leading me down to the clusters of coral I had seen earlier. There we hovered in one spot, trying not to move as three ink black fish swam past us, little white splotches on their wiggling fins that, with some imagination, could be skulls. Link turned, his eyes searching mine for a reaction. I gestured upwards and slowly began to rise.

"Goth fish! That's awesome!" I laughed as we broke above the waves.

"That's just what I like to call them," Link smiled. "I thought you'd like them."

"Why, because you think I'm goth?" I grinned and wiped the hair out of my face. Above us, puffy white clouds scooted across the sky.

"No. Are you?"

"No." I flipped over and floated on my back, watching seagulls soaring on updrafts and then beating their wings when they couldn't find one. Link mimicked my position and we floated peacefully side by side on the gentle waves. Until Zelda appeared over us.

"How long are we going to hang around here? I found Carben, and he's waiting in the train. So can we please go now?" She sounded distraught.

Leave it to Zelda to ruin a perfectly good swimming experience.

"Alright, Zelda." Link sighed, swimming back to the beach. I followed him and grabbed my boots off of the sand before walking back to the train, my jeans sticking to my skin very annoyingly.

"Now Carben wants us to take him back to the Ocean Sanctuary to restore the map, so let's get going." Zelda floated through the wall of the passenger car where a Lokomo supposedly waited.

"Of course, your majesty. Tea with your crumpets?" I offered sarcastically after her.

"Thanks for going swimming with me, Mia." Link pulled his tunic back over his head, but left his hat off to let his hair dry.

"Thanks for showing me the Goth fish." I wish I had had a camera.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"PIRATES!" Zelda shrieked. I jerked awake from my little nap. Hey, it was a long way back to the sanctuary.

"What? Where?" I wobbled to my feet and swiveled the cannon towards the land on our left.

"ON YOUR RIGHT!" Zelda shrieked again as a cannon ball splashed into the water very near us. I whipped the cannon head around.

"Oh, you mean those kinds of pirates," I said, aiming at a wicked-looking pirate ship swarming with bublin creatures and sailing straight at us. It was like a scene out of _Pirates Of The Caribbean._

"Mia, we have to guard Carben!" Link said, stopping the train. "You stay here and try to destroy their ships! I'll go inside and fight off any pirates that manage to get inside!" Hanging on to the outside of the car, he dropped to the ground and cautiously stepped over the rails until he got to the passenger car.

"...Okay...I guess...I'll just be out here then," I said, firing at the first ship. My aim must be getting better, because the cannon ball flew through the air and smashed through the deck. My next shot tore a massive hole in the hull. "Yeah! Eat lead!" I aimed at the next ship as pirates began leaping off the sinking one, yelling curses and firing arrows that I dodged. "Ha! Missed." The three remaining ships began to turn parallel to the Spirit Train, turning their canons in our direction. But all they got by turning was more cannon shot smashing into their now exposed sides. "Yes!" I fist pumped as all three ships went down, sending waves pulsing outwards in all directions.

"Mia!" I heard a faint cry and turned.

"What? I got rid of them!"

"Mia!" Zelda cried again.

"Alright, I'm coming!" I sighed and hoped down to the tracks, taking care to not get my foot caught as I walked over to the passenger car, throwing open the door. I froze. Standing at the far end of the car was a huge, hulking troll/pirate thing wielding a massive spiked club. "Oh..."

"...crap." Link and I finished together. The monster roared and started to slowly advance towards the white-haired Lokomo cowering behind Link.

"Don't let them get me!" He whimpered.

"Yeah...you can...do it Link." I said weakly.

"That's real encouraging," Zelda said.

"I don't see you doing anything besides sitting there!" I snapped as Link bravely charged to meet the pirate, his boots crunching on the glass from the windows, which all appeared to be broken.

"I'm providing motivational support." She replied. "And we were doing just fine without you."

"Oh yes," I smirked as Link rolled out of the way of a vicious club strike, causing the club to become imbedded into the floor. The monster grunted, the gold pirate necklace around its neck swaying as it attempted to pull its weapon out of the floor boards. It appeared to be very stuck. "That's why you called me. Twice." Taking advantage of the pirates' unfortunate dilemma, Link unleashed a flurry of salvage chops on its arms and legs and finally, it's chest. The pirate roared in pain and fury. "With fear in your voice." I added.

"I did NOT have fear in my voice!" Zelda said in outrage as Link stuck his sword deep into the pirates' chest. Moments later, the pirate had disintegrated into the familiar purple cloud that I always saw whenever I shot baddies from the train.

"Oh, you saved me. You brave lad." Carben stopped cowering in the corner and pulled a normal flute out of nowhere. "I guess we better perform before something else happens, eh? You can drop me off later and continue straight to the Ocean Temple afterwards."

"O...okay..." Link huffed. His face was streaked with sweat. "But...I'm...kind of...out of breath right now..."

"I'll do it!" I climbed into the car.

"What? No!" Zelda protested as Link handed the flute to me.

"Why not, Zelda? You want to get to the temple, don't you?"

"Yes, but-"

"Good!" I ignored her and lifted the flute to my mouth, blowing into it and playing a few practice notes. "Hey, this isn't so hard. I don't know what you're so worried about," I said to Zelda.

"..." She refused to answer.

"Okay, I'll play your part first. When you've learned it, let me know and we'll-"

"I have a better idea. Let's just wing it!" I interrupted. Carben looked miffed.

"I do not think-"

"Come on! It'll be... a performance to remember!"

"Well..."

"If it doesn't work, I'll let Link do it." I said.

Zelda looked up. "Yeah, okay. You guys should wing it!"

"Well, alright..." Carben reluctantly agreed. "Let us began."

I waited for him to play his part, and then played along the best I could. Sure I got a bunch of the notes wrong, but it still sounded okay. Sort of. Carben frowned, but continued playing, as did I. When I finally got through the whole song, and we were finished, I handed the flute back to Link and reached under the seat.

"Ha!" I said, pulling out the map and displaying the glowing tracks.

"..How in the world did that work? That was horrible!" Zelda exclaimed despairingly, disappointed that my flute-playing had sufficed.

"For a complete amateur, you were alright," Carben nodded.

"Hey thanks, gramps. You were alright yourself."

"Hmph." Carben grumbled like Gandalf, whenever Pippin did something...grumble-worthy. "Now that those unpleasant experiences are behind us, take me back to the Ocean Sanctuary. It's on the way to the temple anyways, so you won't have to go out of your way."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Mind you," Carben shouted up at us as we dropped him off. "The entrance to the temple is underwater, but the boss' lair is at the very top of that large pillar pocking out of the water over there."

Link frowned. "How are we going to drive underwater?"

"Or breathe. Isn't that kind of impossible?" I asked doubtfully.

"Why do you doubt the Spirits' power?" Carben glared at me.

"Why do you still let your mother dress you?" I shot back. Carben was silent as we headed towards the ocean, and when I turned back, I could still see him sitting there, just watching us. Creepy.

"Why are you always so difficult?" Zelda asked, not meanly. I think she was really curious.

"That guy was totally asking for it," I said. "And Maximum Ride just has the AWESOMEST insults!"

"But still-hey, isn't that the entrance?" Zelda interrupted herself to point at a stone fish, half-submerged in the water. It's mouth was open, the tracks ahead of us disappearing into the depths. Link slowed down and we all stared at the darkness and into the water.

"I'm kind of doubting the Spirits' power right now," Link said. Secretly, I was a little weirded out too.

"The tracks will protect us," Was Zelda's attempt at reassuring. "That's what Carben said."

"For all you know, he's senile." I retorted, surveying the land, rather, the water surrounding us. The pillar that Carben had pointed out caught my eye. I squinted, and could just barely make out steps spiraling upwards, leading straight from the water. "This is bull! Why should we go through the entire temple when we can just swim over there?"

"You seriously plan to swim?" Zelda said incredulously.

"I don't exactly see you volunteering to lead the way into the fish mouth of death. Link? You up for it?" In response, Link shrugged and stripped down to his undershirt and white pant/legging things again.

"Great." I glanced upwards at the clouds that were starting to clump together, grey and heavy with unshed rain. "Let's roll."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

It was a lot further away than it looked. By the time I hauled myself, dripping, onto the grey stone steps, I was panting slightly.

"Wow. Great idea, Mia. Just great." Zelda said, eying my sopping clothes.

"Thank you." I said sweetly, wringing out my hair. "How goes it?" I said to Link, who had just joined us.

"Fine," Link said. "My arm is sore from holding my sword above the water, though."

"How is Link going to defeat the boss with one good arm?" Zelda sighed, mostly to herself.

"Who knows?" I said, starting to climb the stairs. "Maybe I can pop it like the last time."

"That shouldn't have counted," Zelda said sometime later as we finally reached the top where we were greeted by...a large pool of pinkish-purple goo. A warm, putrid stench filled the air.

"Have it your way." I picked up a rock.

"No! Don't!" Zelda cried as I heaved the rock into the pool. It landed with a plop and slowly sunk under with a wet, sucking sound.

"Eeew."

The ground began to rumble ominously, as did the clouds. With very little warning, something shot upwards out of the pool, landing back down again with a splash that sprayed gunk all over the place, coating the ground.

"You are so smart!" Zelda said angrily as the, hidden by a layer of slime, the creature let out a long roar. We all backed up, our bare feet squishing disgustingly as four shapes rose out of the pool. They waved menacingly and with a jolt of horror, I realized that they were spike-covered tentacles. I still couldn't see the thing in the middle though, through all that slime.

"Mia..." Link drew his sword, a strange tone of regret in his voice. I looked at him in surprise.

"You're not going to die, Link! You have to save the-augh!" a thick, rubbery tentacle wrapped around my ankle and scooped me into the air.

"Mia!" Link's eyes went wide and he stood frozen, staring up at me, I think. It was kind of hard to tell from this hight. The tentacle tightened it's grip and whipped me around so I was hanging upside down. Sharp barbs cut into my skin.

"Link! Behind...you!" I warned, holding onto the monster appendage for dear life. If I fell from this hight, the goo on the ground would no longer be just pink and purple. Link turned and slashed at the tentacle with a bunch of chopping motions, and that's when the tentacle holding me decided to start waving back and forth, causing the blood to rush to my head. "Ahh!" I grimaced as blood began to trickle down my leg from the puncture wounds. Distracted by my cry, Link turned, and the tentacle he had been hacking at grabbed him around the waist and hauled him up into the sky. Link gasped as he felt the sting of spikes and dropped his sword; it clattered down to the ground far below. My head began to spin and the last thing I saw before blacking out was a mouthful of teeth emerge from the slime pit below.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

**(You are now entering the perspective of 3rd person. We hope you enjoy your visit.)**

Link pulled and strained against the sharp tentacle, the thorns on it cutting his hands. He looked over at Mia, who was hanging upside down, her eyes shut, her face white, and struggled harder.

"Ahh!" He cried as he was squeezed harder and curled inwards towards the gaping jaws that had just rising out of the goo. An enormous yellow eye blinked up at him, and tears of fear, pain, and defeat all in one made trails through the dust and slime on Link's face.

"Link!" Zelda flew up to him, for the first time in all the boss fights. "Listen to me! It's eye is the only place not covered by spikes! Can't you do anything about it?"

"I'm... a little stuck?" Link gasped for breath. "And I dropped my sword."

"Well, don't just sit there! Do something!"

Link grasped seemingly in vain at the arm, painfully squeezing his ribs. As he did, a long, sharp spike broke off. He almost dropped it, but gritted his teeth and held it tightly in his bleeding hand. A desperate plan took place in his head. He waited until he and Mia were lowered closer and closer to the reeking pool and those needle-sharp teeth. When he was too scared to wait any longer, Link drew back his arm and threw the spike straight into the eye like a spear. The creature roared and tossed Link and Mia into the air. Link rolled when he hit the ground and, fighting nausea, took up his sword and slashed at the enormous eyeball with all his remaining strength. The monster shrieked, bloodcurdling screams that made Link's spine turn to ice. Blood slid down the handle of his blade and made it slippery. Link's hands fumbled as he lifted his sword, pointing downwards, into the air and, with Zelda yelling encouragement the whole time, brought it down in a desperate killing blow.


	9. The Fire Temple

**Chapter nine: The Fire Temple**

* * *

This time when I emerged from the depths of unconsciousness, I was lying on the ground, and instead of an old guy, Link and Zelda were staring down at me.

"Mia!" Link looked relieved when my eyes blinked open. "See? I told you she wasn't dead," He said to Zelda, his complexion turning from white, back to normal.

"Dead? You wish, Zelda." I coughed. "It only got me by my ankle."

Which was flecked with blood, I noticed, raising myself to a sitting position.

"Well, you also were dropped on your head." Zelda added. I felt the back of my head gingerly and winced.

"That would explain the dent." I blinked, noticing for the first time that we were back at the Tower of Spirits. Sans Spirit Train. "I assume you have something to do with this Anjean?" I asked the sage, who was sitting quietly off to the side. She nodded, but offered no further info, so Zelda launched into a colourful and detailed explanation.

"Link fainted after he killed the monster, so I flew to the tower and Anjean warped you guys back here."

"I didn't faint!" Link protested, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Wow. I'm impressed."

"Really?" Zelda stared at me. "Well, It was pretty far to fly."

"No, I meant you completing such a long sentence in one breath." I clarified, pushing myself up and wincing as my muscles seized. "Man, I need to bathe or something before we hit the last temple." The slime from the monster earlier had dried on my skin and clothes, and I didn't even want to think about the state my hair was probably in at the moment.

"Eh, me too," Link peered down at his clothes which were variously stained with monster goo, sea salt, and blood.

"Bathing is all and well, but we can't possibly go to that temple tonight." Zelda said.

"Why not?" I demanded.

"It's nearly dark, m'dear." Anjean said.

"She spoke! Alert the media!"

"Wait a minute, you said you were using all your power to keep Malladus locked up," Link said slowly. "How did you warp us back here?"

Anjean gestured at the three glowing maps and one glow-less on hanging on the wall. "Each temple you've restored has brought a piece of the tower back, as you know. As the energy returns, little by little, so does my strength. You have done well to come this far." She praised.

I cringed as Link picked a chunk of something rubbery-looking out of his hair and flicked it off his fingers with a shudder. "That's all fine and dandy, but...where's your shower?"

"Shower?" Anjean, Link, and Zelda all asked at the same time.

Oh snap.

"Uh...bathtub?"

Puzzled stares.

"Sink? Running water? Anything?" I was now entering the first stage of a mild panic attack.

"I don't know what you mean by 'sink' or 'running water' but there is a natural hot spring a little ways away from the tower." Anjean offered, pointing at one of the four doors that led to the four realms.

Acually...I didn't really mind the idea of hot springs.

"Well, If you need me, you'll know where I'll be. Anjean, you got a bathrobe or something that would fit me?"

"I'm coming with you guys." Zelda announced.

"Why? It's not like you NEED to." Link sounded annoyed, and unenthusiastic at the prospect of Zelda tagging along.

Anjean didn't answer straight away, but held out her empty hands and closed her eyes. "I would like you to remain here, m'dear." She said to Zelda once a stack of clothes had materialized in her hands along with a bar of soap, which I took gratefully. "There are things we need to discuss."

"But-" Zelda started to protest, then fell silent when Anjean fixed her with a stern stare. "...Fine." She grumbled, shooting me a poisonous look which I returned with a smirk, albeit a puzzled one.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Oh gosh," I murmured upon stepping out into the clear night air. Beyond the evil swirly cloud that overlaid the tower, millions of stars were hanging in the midnight blue sky, glittering like little diamonds. Link's eyes flickered upwards fleetingly.

"Don't you have stars in your world?" He asked as we trudged towards the hot spring.

"Yeah, but not like this. Where I come from, stars have pretty much become a distant memory due to light pollution."

"...Oh."

"And don't even get me started on guns, famine, elevator music, and taxes," I sighed.

"Wow. Is there anything good about your world?" Link held a branch out of my way as we moved through the circle of trees that enclosed the pretty little pool.

"Not really." I thought for a minute. "Well, there is indoor plumbing and electricity," I slipped off my boots and wading into the wonderfully warm water with all my clothes on. "And literature, movies, and music." I hung the clothes Anjean had been so kind to provide us with on a tree branch hanging over the water.

"Movies?" Link asked, leaving his boots beside mine. Steam spiralled all around us, little tendrils playing with the wisps of hair on the back of my neck. A sweet, piney smell hovered in the air as I wadded in up to my neck and quickly shed my disgustingly stiff clothes, removing the bar of soap from my jeans pocket.

"They're kind of like moving pictures that tell a story. With sound and colour and stuff." I tried to explain, breaking the soap into two pieces and tossing half to him.

"That sounds like Niko's presentations. Except much more well done." He said. "What else?"

I leaned back and wet my hair. "...There's this really cool park a little ways away from my house. It's filled with these gorgeous trees that are on either side of the path, and in the spring, when there are still flowers blooming, the air smells like apples. And in the distance, you can see the mountains, with their snowy, jagged peaks and dark forests climbing up their sides; a smudge of green. And if you listen really closely, you can sometimes hear eagles or hawks." I decided to stop rambling and start concentrating on getting my hair clean.

"I wish I could see your world." Link sighed. "Just once."

"Yeah, well, I probably just made it sound a lot better than it actually is." A thin layer of slime peeled off my lower arm like one of those fruit roll things. "Eww!"

"Gross!" Link agreed. I noticed small traces of crimson in the cloudy water around his chest.

"Hey...are you hurt?" I demanded, noticing his one arm wrapped around his chest.

"Not really...it's just a scratch." He mumbled.

"Yeah, that's what they all say. Let me see," I gently pulled Link's arm away from a safe distance, causing more blood to trickle into the water. "Oh god. Why didn't you tell someone?"

Link winced. "Mia, really, it's okay," He stammered as I probed along the (medium-sized...?) gash wound with my fingers. He winced again.

"No, it's not. It could get infected or something." I argued, the first-aid trainee deep within me rising to the surface. "After you're done, I want to check that, okay?"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Soon, I was kneeling over Link and clad in Anjean's clothes, which fit perfectly. A thin sheen of sweat covered Link's bare torso as he lay propped up against the boulder which I had gotten dressed behind.

"Link, I need you to stay still, okay?" I breathed. I could see a broken-off piece of spike deep in there, green liquid seeping out of it and mingling with the blood.

How Zelda and I didn't notice this before was beyond me. I mentally slapped myself for not being more concern for his well being after the boss fight.

In response to my innocent request, Link's breathing quickened, and he tensed in anticipation of pain.

"No, relax." I looked up at him and he looked back, his eyes wide. Carefully extending my thumb and forefinger, I grasped the sticky end of the thorn. Link squeezed his eyes shut as I wiggled the spike tip loose and struggled to pull it out, my fingers becoming slippery with warm blood. I swallowed the bile rising in my throat and extracted the thick, oozing thing, stowing it in my pocket.

"You should probably wash all that gunk out now, " I stood up, holding out both of my hands. Link took them and hauled himself up. For the first time since getting out of the hot springs, I felt the chill of the night air through my thin sweater. "You must be freezing!" I exclaimed.

"A little," He admitted quietly as I gathered up both of our wet (and clean!) clothes and hung them on various tree branches to let them dry overnight. "Thanks for-"

"Don't mention it." I replied, still feeling a little sick as we walked back towards the tower in the dark, the only light illuminating our path coming from the stars.

"What took you so long?" Zelda demanded as we slipped in between the giant doors of the tower. She was hovering beside the Spirit Train which seemed to have been warped as well. If Anjean looked tired before, she looked near to fainting now.

"Nothing." Link said. Zelda looked at him.

"Where's your shirt Link?" She demanded. "And what's that on your chest? Mia, what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything! Jeez! It was that monster, see?" I dug around in my pocket and pulled out the spike. Anjean wheeled over on her wheeled chair and frowned at Link's chest wound, which was beginning to scab over.

"Hmm. It doesn't look fatal. Was that in there?" She pointed at the spike, which I let drop on the floor upon realizing that ooze was getting all over my hand.

"Yup." Link said. "Mia pulled it out."

"What?" Zelda said.

"You were right to remove it. If it had remained in the wound, it may have caused an infection." Anjean analyzed. I would have said 'told ya' to Link if I hadn't been so sleepy.

"So...should we sleep here tonight?" Link asked.

"Yes. You youngsters should get some rest." Anjean said, wheeling around the room and blowing out candles as she went. I would have objected to being called a youngster, but again, I was tremendously sleepy. And plus, everybody is probably a youngster to her.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

I had some freaking weird dreams that night.

First, I found myself in the middle of one of my brother's Nerf gun wars with his friends. In the middle of the desert. I shot my brother a withering look as suction-tipped darts zoomed all around me, some grazing my skin. He just grinned and fired a few more times, aiming at my forehead. I rolled my eyes in disgust and stalked towards a wooded door which open to a loud, crowded, brightly coloured shopping mall. The smell of grease and perfumed lotions filled my nose and I sat down on a bench in front of a salon. Posters of freaky-looking models with spiky eyelashes and hair that looked like it had been through a panini press stared back at me. I lazily gazed around and caught sight of a dark figure leaning against the wall behind one of those fake palm trees. Immediately, the mall disappeared along with the noisy atmosphere and I was standing in a strange room not unlike Dark Link's room in the Water Temple of _Ocarina Of Time_. The palm tree was still there, though. Along with the figure, who stalked towards me and turned out to be Byrne. Without his gauntlet.

"Oh great. What do you want?" I rolled my eyes.

"You must bring out your power once again. You could have been killed at the Ocean Temple."

"Like you care," I snapped. "Why should it matter to you if I'm killed or not?" True, I hadn't put much effort into finding out what was up with the swirly symbol on my hand, but if figuring it out was as easy as he made it seem, I probably would have by now. Byrne's eyes flashed.

"I will see you soon. Help you regain your power," He half turned, and I could see his well-muscled profile in the mist. "Mia."

"No." I muttered.

"Mia." He said again, and I detected a faint accent that I couldn't put my finger on. "Mia."

"What?" I finally said, as my surroundings began to fade into blackness.

"Mia!"

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Mia!"

A beam of sunlight hit me straight in the eyes when I made the mistake of opening them.

"Arrgh!" I squinted up at Link. "What?"

"Just how long were you planning to lie there like a blob of Chu Chu jelly? We're all ready to go!" Zelda said.

"I brought you your clothes," Link said. "They're on the train." I sat up and rubbed my eyes.

"Did you get the Ferrus and Linebeck pictures that I left on the boulder?" And forgot to mention I had done so earlier. Hey, nobody's perfect.

"Well, I may have 'accidentally' forgotten Linebeck's..." Link started, a mischievous glint in his eye, but he handed both to me as I stood up and stretched, sore from sleeping on rock.

"Any chance you have any coffee, Anjean?" I yawned, meandering over to the train.

"No, but you can have the fire rail map instead," Anjean said cheerfully, handing me the final slab of stone.

"Great." I grabbed hold of the cannon and slung myself up. "Any helpful advice you'd like to unload on us before we go?"

"The mountain is prone to erupt this time of the year, so be on the lookout for falling rock and debris."

Whatever forces responsible sure picked a great time to send me to New Hyrule.

"...I said helpful." I winced as Link blew the train whistle, a piercing shriek-like noise magnified by being inside. My head throbbed. This was going to be a long day.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Rocks! Debris! Flaming rocks! Ash!" Zelda shouted every few seconds we spent driving up the stupidly steep side of Death Mountain. This was not helping my headache, and she knew it.

"Go play in a food processor," I muttered, quietly, for the sake of not having to explain what a food processor was. A smoky haze filled the air, along with my lungs. " 'Kay, it looks like we'll have to got through Goron Village to get to the Fire Sanctuary, Link." I coughed, my eyes watering from the heat as a large, flaming boulder smacked into the ground an arm's length away.

"I hope we don't get hit by anything," Link said, nervously scanning the sky.

"If we did, it would be Mia's fault." Zelda said, taking no notice as a chunk of rock fell right through her.

"How the hell would it be my fault?"

"I don't know, it just would._" _She snapped as we approached Goron Village, which had a lot of smoke rising from it, I noticed with mild concern.

"A train! Oh goodness! We are saved!" A young Goron spotted us pulling into the station and started hopping from one foot to another. "Fountains of lava have erupted all over, and now block the entrance into our village, goro! You have to help us!" The little guy said, bursting into tears.

Um..okay...

More Gorons came over, murmuring things like, and not limited too:

"I bet something really cold would do the trick."

"Hmm, does something that cold even exist? Certainly not in this realm."

"What about the Anoukis? Might they have something you could bring back to us?"

"Waaaaah! I want my grandpa!"

"Alright! We get the hint!" I said, rubbing my temples.

Inevitably, cheers erupted from all around us and Link looked over at me. "How are we going to transport ice?"

"Yeah. If we keep it in the passenger car, it'll all melt!" Zelda said.

"Breaking news: Water is wet! Film at 11!" I rolled my eyes and turned to the Gorons. "Hey! Yo! If we were to bring back something icy, how would we go about transferring it?" The Gorons looked at one another.

"Well," One of them said slowly. "There is that cargo car that we salvaged off of the train that crashed while trying to go up to the temple a few years ago."

...

"...Great. Hook 'er up!" The Gorons were silent, apparently debating with themselves in their heads. "Please?" I added as an afterthought. They all started talking at once.

"Well, I guess the Elder wouldn't mind."

"It is for a good cause, goro."

"Besides, he's too busy praying at the alter of the Mountain Goddess to notice, goro."

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Soon, we were hooked up to a cargo car. Later, we were back with a load of ice. The Gorons formed a daisy chain, blocks of ice passing from hand to hand until it was all tossed onto the lave fountains with a hiss. Steam billowed everywhere, and when it cleared, the bubbling lava was no more, much to the joy and relief of the Gorons. They were now able to go back to their boring cave houses and roam in and out of the village freely. Until the next eruption.

"Thank you, brothers!" Multiple Gorons said multiple times. I guess all humans look the same to them.

We walked through the village and located a sign that said: 'Fire Sanctuary: Ahead. Alter of the Mountain Goddess: Left'.

"Mia, why don't you go find the elder and let him know that the village is safe?" Link said. "We can meet back here later." I didn't protest, but nodded slightly in acknowledgement, taking the trail indicated. This time, I didn't care whether I missed out on the whole music thing or not. Not with this headache.

I followed the windy trail slightly upwards, going at a pretty steady pace until I took a wrong turn and ended up in a circle-shaped area. A dead end. I grumbled in annoyance and turned to leave, but found my path blocked as someone jumped down out of nowhere in a blur of black, landing in the crouch.

"啊！該死的 !" I shouted in surprise as Byrne slowly stood, his gauntlet hand gauntlet-free, like in my dream. "Must you always appear out of nowhere like that?" He ignored me and got straight to the point.

"Use your power and attack me."

"What? What are you talking about? Why are you stalking me?"

"I told you I'd see you soon," Byrne said as if it that made it justifiable. He came forwards. "Didn't I?"

"You...you have no right to invade my dreams, you bastard," I stuttered, moving backwards as he advanced.

"Everyone knows you have, or should I say had, the ability to help them greatly. Question is, Mia, will you come through for them?" My pulse thundered and I shut my eyes, digging my fingernails into my palm, wishing I could inflict some pain. Or better yet, make him shut the-

"Do it!" He growled.

_C'mon, Mia! Concentrante!_

If I could figure out how to control the freaky power to use it against him, maybe I could settle his once and for all; make him leave us alone.

Byrne's calloused hand clamped around my throat. My eyes flew open. What the hell? He squeezed hard, his fingers encircling my neck almost completely. I struggled.

"You're not trying," He said, stepping on my toes. Pressure built behind my eyes and in my face. My lungs strained. I pulled at his hand. I slapped. I kicked. I punched at his arms and chest, unable to reach his head. But it didn't matter. None of it mattered. Going up against Byrne was like trying to beat up an oak tree. My chest burned. Couldn't...breathe...

Byrne leaned close, his nose almost touching mine, the blackness in his eyes going even darker.

"What are you going to do, Mia?"

My arms went limp and he released me with a shove. I stumbled backwards is disbelief, sucking the smoky, muggy air into my oxygen-deprived lungs. An open-handed smack landed on the back of my head. I ducked, arms going protectively over my head.

"Stop it! Jeez! Are you insane?"

"Fight me." He moved too quickly for me to defend myself. A boot to the back of my knee sent me crumbling to the floor.

"Stop it, Byrne. I'm done, okay?" So far, he hadn't helped me one bit. "I thought you were supposed to teach me, not try to kill me," I forced out through my sore throat. "Can we just...stop?"

"Stop what?" Byrne narrowed his eyes, telling me with a look exactly how much damage he could do. I rolled my eyes.

"Oh I don't know. Stop pushing me, stop hitting me, stop being a supreme arse?"

"Make me." The gleam in his dark eyes- it was like he was dying for someone to finally give him some decent action. And that someone, he had decided, was me. I stepped forward and raised my hand, hoping that I could draw this out until Link or someone came looking for me. Byrne raised his arm in response. "No. Make me...with your mind."

"I don't see you using yours," I snorted, arching one eyebrow.

He moved in a blur, so fast I didn't have time to tense before he had spun me around and shoved me against the far wall, one arm twisted behind my back. The side of my face scrapped against the rock and shock stole my breath.

Then he breathed purposely on my neck and chuckled, dropping his voice to a husky tone.

"I suppose we could try a…different…sort of tactic..."

He was too close. Too pressed up against me. I was trapped completely. A sick feeling rolled over my stomach.

"No." I mumbled.

"Yes." Byrne chuckled softly. My fear turned to panic. Power stirred, rising like the smoke in the air, from my toes to my scalp, pushing painfully into places never meant to be filled. My body went stiff, bracing against the inevitable rise of power.

_Damn you, Byrne!_

It rushed the rest of the way in. I twisted from Byrne's hold, vaguely acknowledging that he let me, and grabbed his neck. Our gazes locked as a tingling sensation shot down my arm and into my hand. I cried out, finally finding the strength to shove Byrne back. Then it was over. My power retreated, leaving me slumped against the wall. Byrne stood very still, his eyes bored into mine, intense, but somehow calm and confident.

"Now that we know your power stirs from fear and adrenaline, we have something to work with. Don't make me push you that far again. It's...distasteful. Soon you'll be able to control it without giving in to those unnecessary emotions. But-" He shrugged- "I suppose it's a good enough start."

I just stood there, staring at him and amazed by how he could sound so blase after all that.

"To get into the temple, you must gather the three keys from the birds." Byrne began backing away, his gaze lingering before he turned and left.

"So what, you're helping us now? Who's side are you on?" I muttered, then raised my voice. "I liked Linebeck better!" After taking a moment to recover and noticing that my hand was glowing once again, albeit faintly, I walked down the path and collided with a big grey Goron.

"Hello there! And who might you be?" He asked kindly.

"No one important. I was just supposed to tell you that the village can now be accessed again." I said, guessing that he was the elder. The Goron laughed merrily, the already noticeable smile lines becoming quite pronounced.

"So the Goddess has heard my prayers! Thank you, my child. I was beginning to loose hope." I smiled tiredly and walked back to the village with him, where Link and Zelda were waiting. Link smiled upon seeing me, and I managed to smile back, although I was still slightly in shock from the whole Byrne encounter.

After exchanging greeting with Link, the Goron elder went on his way and got attacked by the kid we had seen earlier.

"Grandpa!" He beamed, stretching his short arms around the much bigger Goron as far as they would go.

Aww!

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"So, apparently to get into the temple we have to snag three keys from some random birds that should be flying around here." I announced when we were back on the train and out of the village.

"Where did you hear that?" Zelda asked. I sweat-dropped.

"Um, around the village." I said vaguely. Technically, that was true.

"I wonder how to get the keys from them?" Link said as something bird-shaped flew towards us.

"Do you still have that pinwheel thing? Maybe you could use it to make the bird drop the key, and then use your boomerang to get it." Zelda suggested.

.Three.

.Birds.

.Later...

We used the keys to open the weird door with three keyholes in it. For some reason, The air felt significantly warmer inside the temple than outside. The cause of this, I discovered as we walked inside, was an innocent, bubbling lava pit.

"That's it? The great temple on top of the mountain consists of one room? A lava pit?" I smirked. "How lame!"

"Look at that mine cart over there," Zelda pointed. "And those tracks!" Strangely enough, a mine car was sitting on tracks that corkscrewed upwards and circled the pit, supported on stilts of metal that went down into the lava.

"Cool!" Link trotted over to the rusty car and pulled out a bow and a quiver of arrows. I guess the weapons had been rigged or something, because there was a familiar rumbling and a rock/Cyclops monster ascended from the pool. It glared at Link and I with its one eyeball. I stared as it bent down and roared in our faces, causing our hair to blow back behind us. After it was done venting, it leaned back and flaunted a bunch of yellow spots that were placed randomly around its body.

"Well that's just stupid. You found a bow and arrows in a room with a boss that has targets all over its body." I smirked.

A giant rock fist smashed into the ground, right where I was standing. Or rather, had been standing until Link had thrown himself at me and pushed me out of the way. We landed in the mine cart, which decided to start moving due to unknown forces.

"You know what else is stupid?" Zelda shouted up to us as we were carried further and further up the rickety tracks. "Staying in one spot and not doing anything! So go! Go get him! Go get this 'Cragma The Lava Lord'!"

"Hey! I'm supposed to be Navi! And how did you know his name?" I shouted back, raising my head slowly above the edge of the wobbly car. "Eeek!" I shrieked as the Cyclops thing's eye, which looked a lot like Vaati's eye while in Wind Mage form, glared down at me. "Link! Get him!" A little awkwardly, Link nocked an arrow and aimed at the monster's eye, but missed and hit him in one of the yellow areas instead.

"That works too!" Zelda said as Cragma gave a surprisingly girly shriek and swatted at the cart with one of his bulky hands. I ducked, but Link was a little slow. Consequently, he got knocked out, and fell on the ground, but luckily not in the lava. I was now left alone with the bow and a few arrows.

"Link! How could you do this to me?" I cried dramatically, swiping the back of my hand across my cheek to remove a fake tear.

"Mia! Stop fooling around!" Zelda ordered as Link got up and suddenly found himself frantically dodging fists. "Do something!"

"What am I supposed to do?" I said, annoyed.

"Shooting those yellow areas might help," Link panted.

"Oh. Right." I delicately picked the bow up and attempted to shoot an arrow. It went behind me.

"You usually hold the arrow with the pointy part facing away from you." Link offered.

"Hmm. That might help." Yup. Once I got the whole aiming thing down, I shot a rapid-fire of arrows at Cragma, actually hitting the yellow spots once in a while. When I had managed to hit all of them, Cragma stopped tormenting Link and faced me again; I cringed at his giant eyeball.

"Hit him in the eye!" Zelda hollered.

"Eeee...' I whined. Giant Eyeball. Eww.

"C'mon Mia! You can do it!" Link shouted, unsheathing his sword. Taking the last two arrows, I notched them both at once like the William guy in _Snow White and the Huntsman_ and let them rip straight into that...disgusting eyeball. Shudder. Blinded my arrows of fury, (arrows of fear, actually,) Cragma gave a bellow and slammed face first into the ground.

"Yeah! Go Link!" I cheered, getting slightly nauseous from ridding around in circles as Link went into the whole hacking final blow routine with his sword. You know it:

Hack.

Bellow.

Another hack.

Even louder bellow.

Chop. Hack. Chop. And all that graphic stuff.

Final bellow.

Disintegrate.

Cheers.

Cragma dramatically sunk back into the pool of lava. Link wiped the sweat off his forehead. Zelda flew circles around him and beamed. The inverted triangle of power pillar rose out of the centre of the lava, and I just kept going around and around in circles.

"Somebody get me out of here before I hurl!"


	10. The Bow of Light

**Chapter 10: The Bow Of Light**

* * *

"This is it! Oh my gosh, you guys! This is it!" Zelda flew in erratic zigzags.

"I seriously doubt it."

"I don't see why you have to be such a wet blanket, Mia. I'm finally about to get my body back!"

"Well _you_ don't have to climb up all these stairs now, do you?"

The Tower of Spirits now being fully intact, Anjean had sent us to go confront Cole and Malladus, hopefully getting Zelda's body back in the process before said demon used it to destroy the world. Unfortunately, this required climbing stairs. Lots of 'em.

"What did Anjean say about 'guardians' or something?" Zelda asked Link when we got the top of the stairs and discovered a door. "I wasn't really listening."

Well that's a first.

"Oh, the guardians of the tower. They're supposed to protect this place, right?" Link turned the silver handle on the door, once we had caught our breath and prepped ourselves for whatever horrors may lie ahead.

"That's probably why they are called guardians. Maybe they can help us get through the tower?" I suggested as we infiltrated the maze-esque room of the tower. A whole lot of different paths led away from us in a whole lot of different directions.

"Maybe. But it really isn't a big deal, Is it? I mean, all we have to do is get through a few rooms and then-"

"EEEK!" Zelda screamed, pointing at a phantom that was quietly patrolling the passageways, minding its own business. At the sound of Zelda's scream, it turned, caught sight of us, and lifted its massive, double-edged sword menacingly.

"..Nice going, princess."

Link and I took off running; the phantom's armour clanked as it followed in pursuit of its prey. Us.

I know I should have expected something like that, but I have to admit: did NOT see that one coming.

"Ahh!"

"Augh!"

"So much for the guardians being helpful!" I smirked as best as I could while running for my life.

"What...what is that thing?" Link gulped.

I half-turned to answer him, and embarrassingly tripped over my own feet.

"Ung!" I landed on my face. Link tripped over my legs and landed beside me, almost hitting his head on the wall of the narrow passage. Which turned out to be a dead-end. The phantom rounded the corner and lumbered towards us with surprising speed.

Upgraded Phantoms. Lovely.

"Link! Mia!" I heard Zelda shriek, but my attention was focussed on the sharp weapon slowly being raised above my head.

"Oh shit." I whispered. What would happen if I...died here? I closed my eyes and braced for the pain...

...which never came.

"Link! Mia!" Zelda said again, but this time, it sounded like a mask was covering her face or something.

Deciding that death was inevitable, I opened my eyes. "Gah!" I scrambled up against the wall, attempting to get away from the large metal monster towering over us.

...Which now had...glowing, pink eyes?

"Mia! It's me! It's Zelda!" The Phantom said, lowering its sword.

"Z-zelda?" Link gawked.

"Oh my god." I smacked my forehead in horror. "Do you realize what this means?"

"Um...I can posses the guardians?" Zelda guessed, examining her metal arms and legs and sword in fascination.

"She can help us get across that lava?" Link pointed straight down the hallway in front of us, to where the passage finally ended at a bunch of lava pits. Way on the other side, there was a door.

"Yes, but more importantly, she has a giant sword!"

From this moment forward, I can no longer make snide comments without the fear of being injured.

"...Oh yeah!" Zelda grinned somewhat evilly and pulled Link to his feet with her newly-discovered strength. "This is going to be awesome!" I stood up.

"You know that when I say something sarcastic I do it because I know no better way to express love and admiration, right?"

"Nice try, Mia." Zelda snickered and clanked her way over to inspect the lava standing in the way of us and the door. Link and I exchanged a perturbed look and followed. "Ok, so I'm guessing I can walk through this stuff now?" Zelda dipped her metal toe in and left it for a few seconds while Link and I looked on. "Yup."

"Well, maybe you can carry us on your shield?" Link suggested timidly. Zelda thought for a minute, then sheathed her sword and pulled a thick metal shield off her back.

"Yeah, okay. Hop on." She said agreeably, holding it above her head. Link climbed up on her back.

"...You...you're planning to leave me here, aren't you?" I crossed my arms.

"What! Um, no, what makes you say that?" Zelda took a few steps across the lava.

"That sadistic gleam in your eyes."

"Here, Mia." Link extended his hand. I grabbed ahold and allowed Link to pull me up beside him. Zelda staggered exaggeratedly under my weight.

"What did you eat today, rocks?" She grunted.

"Why, is you head missing some?" I shot back. No matter if she inflicted pain or not later, that was worth it. Thank you Maximum Ride and all your awesome retorts. Link chuckled and I grinned as Zelda sloshed through the lava and dumped us unceremoniously on the other side.

"You realize I do have a giant sword, Mia, right?"

"Yes. Threat acknowledged." I picked myself off of the floor and skipped through the door into a room with a strange, raised, circular platform smack dab in the middle.

"What's this for?" Link asked from behind me as I stepped onto the platform which was encircled by a bunch of tall pillars.

"So you are the ones responsible for rebuilding the tower," Someone said from some unknown place. I...I knew that voice.

This is not a fact I am proud of.

I sucked in my breath and tried to run off of the platform but collided with a yellow-ish force field that had inconveniently appeared in front of my face.

"Mia!" Link ran up and banged on the wall with both fists.

"Link!" I pressed both my hands against the force field. Little tingles shot through my fingers.

"Byrne!" Zelda exclaimed.

"Zelda!" I shouted.

"What?"

"Nothing. I just didn't want you to feel left out."

"Enough!" Byrne stalked out of the shadows.

Someone seems to have a low tolerance level for jabbering.

"Let Mia go!" Link shouted, drawing his sword. Byrne regarded him in amusement.

"I admire your audacity, little human, but your efforts to save your friend are in vain. That force field is impenetrable." He said dismissively before turning to me. I tried to ignore the fact that I had walked straight into his trap and crossed my arms, struggling to keep up an expression of boredom.

"Mia." He nodded slightly.

"What do you want this time?"

"There have been...difficulties in the resurrection of Lord Malladus. A lack of power. A lack of power that is inherent in..." Zelda, Link, and I waited breathlessly, "..you." Byrne finished.

"Mia!" Link stabbed his sword at the force field in a desperate and futile attempt to prevent what we all knew was about to happen. I shrank backwards as Byrne advanced.

"You...you never were helping me." I realized. "You just needed my weird freaky unnatural power to come back so you could take it when the time was right."

Byrne paused. "Yes. Although I had hoped that you would join us. You could have contributed much. But...you...apparently did not see the wisdom of offering yourself willingly."

"That's because I don't like to associate with obnoxious lowlifes."

Byrne choose to ignore my comment and instead extended his right hand, palm up. "It is not too late, Mia. Help us, and Malladus will make us as powerful as the spirits themselves."

I stared at his hand.

"Don't do it, Mia!" Zelda shouted.

My eye twitched. "You honestly think-" I turned away from Byrne, "-that I would go with him? After all we've been through together? Seriously?" Zelda and Link both stared at me in horror. "What?" I asked right before I was grabbed from behind.

"Your lack of trust is amusing, Princess." Byrne said, hoisting me over his shoulder with little difficulty.

...oh yeah. Never turn your back on your enemy. Oops.

"What...are you doing? Let...me...GO!" I pounded on his back with my fists in disbelief as he walked through the force field, out the door, and started up a staircase that spiralled up the outside of the tower. Link sprinted around the barrier, sword extended.

"Mia!" He reached out his hand and almost managed to grab my wrist before Byrne turned and batted him roughly away, like when we had first met.

"Link!" I shouted as Byrne broke into a sprint, his dark ponytail streaming behind him as we climbed higher and higher towards an ominous cloud of energy building near the top of the tower. "You...you won't get away with this!" I yelled, the wind whistling in my ears.

I could see a good-sized chunk of Hyrule from here, the land spreading in all directions all the way to the horizon. It would have been nice to take a moment and admire it if I wasn't, you know, being kidnapped.

"Do not underestimate the power of the Spirits of Evil." Byrne replied as we got to the top of the tower, to where Zelda's body was floating above an altar, streams of creepy-looking...stuff feeding into her body from the great cloud overhead. "I have brought her, Cole!" Byrne lowered me down from his shoulder, immediately wrapping an arm around me to prevent me from running away. Which I would have, let me assure you.

"Ahh." The double-horned demon floated into sight. I resisted the urge to spit. "So I see you didn't really kill her after all."

"What does that matter? She holds the final key to Malladus's resurrection!" Byrne stared at Cole.

"Yes, but by NOT killing her, she was able to use YOUR power, which she somehow TOOK from you, to bring back those vile tracks, therefore complicating our plans." Cole pointed out.

"Hey! Psychopath! Don't talk about me like I'm not here!" I glared at him, digging my nails into the muscular arm wrapped tightly around my chest. Cole squinted at me in a mixture of repulsion and loathing.

"...I suppose it does not matter now. All right. Release her, Byrne." Cole ordered and held up his hands. Streaks of dark light sparkled and cracked over his clawed fingers. Byrne let go of me and gave me a shove. I landed on the floor and immediately tried to scramble away, but Cole shot a bolt of electricity, causing me to crumple, writhing in pain. Evilness seeped into me, gathering any sacred power I happened to have and pushing it up, out of my hand. A steady stream of energy flowed from me into Zelda's floating body, and there was nothing I could do about it.

"Mia!" I heard Link shout faintly. My head jerked back as the prickling sensation intensified and the last of the power was ripped from me in painful ways definitely unnatural.

"Hee hee hee!" Cole cackled as I was left, trembling on the ground. Zelda's body began to struggle, little mewing sounds escaping her lips. Phantom Zelda and Link raced up to the alter.

"No!" Phantom Zelda shrieked when she saw what was happening. "What are you doing? Give my body back to me!"

"It is too late for that, I'm afraid," Cole snickered as a mysterious dark whirlwind surrounded the stolen vessel, then dispelled quickly, leaving the figure of the princess, head bowed, eyes closed. "Lord Malladus! Your resurrection was successful!"

Zelda opened her eyes, which were now blood-red.

"Noooooo!" Phantom Zelda moaned in horror. I stood up shakily, then nearly fell.

"Great Lord Malladus!" Byrne rushed forward. "I am the one responsible for your resurrection! Grant me the power that I have wanted!" Zelda/Malladus slowly raised (Her? His? Its?) arm and Byrne closed his eyes in anticipation. The demon flicked its wrist, and Byrne was suddenly lifted in the air.

"Really, Byrne? You are MUCH too gullible. Why would the Spirit of Evil EVER grant powers to one who once served the Spirits of Light?" Cole grinned, baring his sharp teeth.

"What-what are you saying?" Byrne blinked, the only indication that he was startled by the turn of events.

"I'm saying-" Zelda/Malladus flicked its wrist, causing Byrne to slam backwards mercilessly into one of the pillars. "-That you are no longer useful to us." Cole answered.

Byrne groaned and slumped to the ground, quickly loosing consciousness. Then the demon train with the creepy face appeared out of nowhere.

"So long, you fools!" Cole waved mockingly as he and Zelda/Malladus boarded the train.

"No! Bring me back my body!" Zelda rushed to the edge of the tower and shook her fist as the train took off, disappearing into a portal.

"Ungh.." I groaned, going limp. Link's face began to blur, as did my surroundings, and soon I was like Byrne. Unconscious. Weak. And half dead.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

(Link's POV)

Soon after the creepy train had left with Cole and Malladus on board, Mia fainted, and Anjean appeared at the top of the stairs somehow.

After debating what to do, she suggested we bring Byrne back to the train with us. I think she felt sorry for him. If it was up to me, I would have left him there, seeing as he had tried to kill us more than once.

Zelda grabbed Byrne by the feet and managed to drag him while I tried to drag Mia as carefully as possible behind them.

"Ooo, that Malladus!" Zelda fumed, picking Byrne up and shoving him into the passenger car, none too gently. "He'll rue the day he picked my body to posses!"

"I am somewhat at a loss as what to do..." Anjean murmured, mostly to herself, I think.

"We chase him, of course! I'll hold him down, while Link gets him with his sword, right Link?" Zelda said to me as I pushed Mia onto one of the seats. "Link?" Zelda said again, sounding strange.

I glanced up at her.

"You'll help me get my body back, won't you?"

"Or course! We've come this far, haven't we? But...will my sword be enough to kill him?"

It was Anjean who answered. "I'm afraid not. The only weapon capable of purging Zelda's body of Malladus' spirit is found deep in the Sand Temple in the desert. It is called the bow of light."

"So, all we need to do is get this bow, and we will be able to defeat Malladus?" Zelda asked.

"...Yes..." Anjean hesitated.

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's go!"

"I will travel with you to the desert." Anjean said, then looked over at me. I glanced over at the unconscious Byrne, propped up awkwardly a few seats away. "We'd best get going, dearie. I will look over Mia." She said kindly.

"...Alright." I turned away from Mia, glancing over my shoulder again before stepping out of the car. She looked so peaceful when she was asleep. I almost pitied Byrne for all the heck he was probably going to get when she woke up. Almost.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

To get to the desert, we had to go through the Fire Realm again. Which meant stoping a few times because the train kept overheating.

Once in the Desert Realm, we met the Sage of the desert, Rael, who helped us restore the tracks to the final temple. He also warned us that this temple was the most dangerous yet, and the boss was really tough because the temple was made to protect the Bow of Light, and all this other stuff.

To actually GET to the temple, was a whole other problem. Rael explained that we would have to pass three trials. The twisted tunnels, the great eye in the dark, and the impenetrable temple.

The twisted tunnels were pretty confusing, but we made it out, thanks to Zelda, who suggested we try going backwards.

The eye in the dark turned out to be some sort of giant bug hanging on the ceiling in another tunnel. With one eye. Mia would have freaked out. Since Mia was unconscious, Zelda grudgingly agreed to work the cannon. She said that the only reason she was doing this was because we would never get her body back with a broken train. Despite her great hate for bugs, she had no problem handling the cannon in her Phantom body, and was easily able to shoot the bug in the giant eye a bunch of times.

After we defeated the bug and made it out of the tunnel, we discovered that the Sand Temple was in the shape of a pyramid, with multiple tanks with swivelling guns stationed all around it. As we got closer, a flurry of small cannonballs were shot at us, throwing up sand as they hit the ground, and almost breaking holes in the train. The rain of iron stopped only when Zelda returned fire while I directed the train all the way around the temple. When every last tank had been defeated, the bars over the front door lifted, allowing access.

Zelda and I left Anjean on the train with Mia and Byrne and charged into the temple, which was full of hazardous quicksand pits. Zelda was pretty nervous, seeing as she would probably sink instantly if she fell into one of them, but managed to pull herself together enough to make it to the boss room. The boss room was full of sand, and the 'really tough' boss was a creepy skeleton thing with cracked armour covering its vertebrae.

So, Zelda ended up pressing herself against the wall and trying not to get in the sand while I used a hammer I found nearby to whack at the exposed bone until all that was left of the monster was its head. It shrieked and gnashed its needle-sharp teeth as I whacked the ruby-like weak spot on the back of its head with my sword. The stinging blisters on my hands scraped against the sword hilt, tearing open and I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from screaming. Tears welled up in my eyes and with my fiercest war cry, I finished the demon beast.

"Yeah! You did it, Link!" Zelda cheered from the wall as a gleaming chest appeared in front of me. I opened it and lifted the golden bow and quiver out, holding them in my raw, damaged hands.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Anjean! Anjean! We got the bow of light!" Zelda giggled, a sound that was probably supposed to be cute, but actually was pretty annoying.

"Is that so?" Anjean looked up as I came in behind Zelda, dragging my feet.

"Yes! Now defeating Malladus will be a snap!" Zelda beamed. I set the bow on a chair and sat down next to Mia.

"Fireworks." She murmured in her sleep.

"What?" I looked at her as she shifted around onto her back..

"Well, we WOULD be able to defeat Malladus...if we knew where he was," Anjean said. Zelda froze.

"...What? Can't you do something to find him?"

"I'm afraid not, m'dear. Cole and Malladus have hidden the Demon Train so well that I simply cannot find it."

"...Oh..." Zelda looked crestfallen. The passenger car became silent.

"There is...one way to find them..." Byrne spoke, his voice rasping. We all turned to stare at him, surprised and, in my case, disappointed to see him awake.

"Yes?" I narrowed my eyes as Byrne's gaze flickered to Mia's slender form beside me, lying sprawled over the chair. I saw a slight trace of remorse in his eyes as he searched her face, as if he were wondering if she were alive or not.

"When I first joined Cole, he make me made a tool called the Compass of Light so we could track down the Demon Train. After we had successfully located it, I hid the compass underneath the alter of the Demon King. It cannot be touched by any evil, so it should still be where I left it."

"Oh. So...if we get this compass-" Zelda was becoming excited again. "-we will be able to find the Demon Train too?"

Byrne nodded.

"To make the alter rise, shoot an arrow from the sacred bow into the twin eyes that stand at the top of the stairs."

"...Thank you, Byrne." Anjean said quietly.

"...Thank you, Master. And to you too, Princess." Byrne glanced at Zelda. "For sparing my life."

"Alright Link. Let's go get that compass." Zelda finally said. I hesitated, not wanting to leave Mia and Anjean alone with Byrne now that he was awake. And also, my hands hurt.

"You...you can get it yourself, right?" I muttered. Zelda blinked at me in surprise.

"I guess. But...you don't want to come with me...?"

"I am sure you are most capable of retrieving it yourself, m'dear." Anjean said. I blinked gratefully at her, and she smiled back knowingly.

"Okay...I'll be right back..." Zelda glared at Mia for some reason before grabbing the bow and clanking out of the car. As soon as she was gone, Mia started to stir.

"Ungh..." She groaned. "I had the weirdest dream. Where Zelda turned into a Phantom and Byrne had multiple personalities or something."

"I'm afraid it wasn't a dream, my dear." Anjean answered her.

"...What?" Mia blinked and looked around the boxcar. She froze for a few seconds when she noticed Byrne, then stood up suddenly, staggering over to where he was sitting and throwing a weak punch at his arm. "You...!" I guess she couldn't think of any names harsh enough, because she didn't finish her sentence. Byrne watched in amusement as she pummelled him ineffectively. His amusement changed to concern as Mia swayed unsteadily, her knees buckling. Byrne caught her with one hand before she could fall. "Don't...touch me!" She protested, but let him steer her into the seat across the aisle.

"You should rest. Recover. You could have been killed." Byrne said gruffly.

"Yeah, no thanks to you!" Her eyes sparkled angrily.

"I am...sorry..." He said slowly. I suspected that he wasn't used to apologizing.

"Yeah, sure."

"Are you okay?" I asked. She looked at me and seemed to calm down a bit.

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine. What about you? What happened while I was so rudely rendered unconscious?"

Anjean and I took turns filling her in on the desert and the Sand Temple and the Bow and Compass of Light until Zelda returned, with said compass in hand.

"I'm back." She announced, handing the artifact to Anjean.

"Wonderful. Now all we need to do is follow the compass and it should lead us to the Dark Realm." The sage said.

"Dark Realm?" Mia wondered. "What's that?"

"The Dark Realm is where Cole and Malladus have hidden the Demon Train." Byrne answered.

I could have told her that.

Mia started to say something but changed her mind. I watched her eyes trace over his long ponytail and a felt a prickle of jealousy deep in my stomach.

"Why do you cover your face?" She eventually asked. Byrne stared at her, but didn't answer. She arched one eyebrow. "Fine. Keep your secrets. Link?"

"Yes?" I answered as she leaned back in her seat and crossed her legs.

"Let's go kick some Demon King butt!"


	11. The Demon Train

**Chapter 11: The Demon Train**

* * *

Ever get hit by dark magic? No?

Well, it's painful.

I woke up, and found myself sprawled on a seat in the passenger car, experiencing soreness all over and a throbbing ache in my left, now symbol-less hand.

Link was beside me, Anjean was sitting in her wheeled car thing in the aisle, Zelda was nowhere to be seen, and Byrne was sitting at the back of the train car.

As much as it hurt me to do so, I crawled over Link's legs and attempted to attack the sleaze bag, almost falling as my stupid knees gave out on me. Surprisingly, Byrne was the one to catch and direct me into the seat across the aisle.

He apologized for kidnapping me, and almost getting me killed in the process. I...resisted the urge to do something violent again and accepted, more or less, but only because we had both been duped.

After I calmed down a bit, Link and Anjean recounted the series of events that had taken place while I was unconscious.

Apparently, they had gone all the way to the desert just to get some sort of bow that was supposed to be able to drive Malladus out of Zelda's body. They were now waiting for Zelda to come back with a compass, which she was getting from the top of the tower, that would lead us to the Demon Train.

"Oh, gosh, you guys. I am so sorry." I sighed, resting my head in my hands. "It's my fault that Malladus was able to posses Zelda's body."

"You couldn't exactly help it, Mia," Link said, glaring at Byrne. "It's not your fault."

"It will almost be easier to get Zelda's body back while it's inhabited by the Demon King." Anjean tried to cheer me up. "Easier to get a clear shot at him, anyways."

I appreciated their attempts at reassuring me, but still felt pretty pathetic.

"I'm back!" Zelda stamped in, looking slightly dejected when she saw me awake. "Here." She handed a gilded compass to Anjean and a shmancy golden bow to Link.

"Wonderful." Anjean said. "Now all we have to do is let this compass lead us to the Dark Realm."

"Dark Realm? What's that?" I asked, rubbing my swollen hand and patting down my puffy, static-influenced hair the best I could without a mirror.

"The Dark Realm is where Cole and Malladus have hidden the Demon Train." Byrne said. I narrowed my eyes and started to say something unpleasant, but changed my mind. He looked half-dead from his encounter with Malladus, and I was guessing he wasn't really supposed to have survived. Now this was really out of character for me, since I don't usually sympathize with bad guys, but I felt...sorry for him.

He watched me warily.

"Why do you cover your face?" I eventually asked. Byrne blinked, as if he wasn't expecting me to talk to him after what he did. And to be honest, I don't know why I was, but it didn't really matter, because he didn't answer anyway. "Fine. Keep your secrets." I leaned back in the seat and crossed my legs. "Link?"

"Yes?" He answered.

"Lets go kick some Demon King butt!" Link nodded and took the compass from Anjean, wincing as the metal passed from her hand to his.

"Link, are your hands okay?" Zelda asked, clearly noticing his discomfort, as did I.

"Not...really." Link mumbled.

"Let me see. You really need to start telling someone whenever you get hurt." I sighed, as he handed the compass to Zelda and came up to me. I winced upon seeing a bunch of red, raw blisters, scattered along inside of his hands. "Yeesh."

"They...really hurt." Link admitted. I thought for a minute, then reached over and picked up my old tank top, which had conveniently been thrown over the seat in front of me. I unsteadily began tearing it into strips, like you see characters in movies doing for their wounded comrades.

Probably not the most sanitary thing, but whatever. Better than nothing.

"Mia," Link protested, squirming as I wrapped the cloth tightly around his hands.

"Chill." I said, my head swimming.

"But Mia, your shirt!"

"I have this sweater. I'm sure I'll survive." I tied the material in a knot under his wrist, and did the same to the other hand. "Better?" Link clenched his hands a few times, then accepted the magical compass back from Zelda.

"Yes. Thanks."

"No problem." I braced myself to stand up. "So, are we going now?" Zelda studied my feeble form.

"I really don't think you should be in charge of the canon right now." She said.

"What?" I said, too weak to put any effort into sounding outraged. "If Link can drive a train and wield a sword with blister-covered hands, then I can certainly shoot a few cannonballs."

"While standing on a little platform, when you're dizzy and your arms are weak?"

"Who said my arms are weak?"

"She is right, Mia." Anjean intervened. "You need to recover." I started to protest.

"You were almost killed." Byrne said.

"It wouldn't be very good if you fell off the train." Link hurriedly added.

"...Fine." I grumbled, feeling useless and surly. Link came over to me again and patted my shoulder.

"It'll be okay, Mia. I'll get us to the Dark Realm, okay?" I stared at his big eyes, full of knowledge and experience and emotion, way beyond his tender years of...what, twelve or so?

"Alright." I sighed, glancing at his wounded hands.

No kid should have to go through what he was going through.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

The compass seemed to be leading us through the Forest Realm. I watched in silence as the trees and other scenery flew past as we traveled.

"Sooo." I eventually turned to Byrne. "Anjean used to be your mentor?"

"...Yes."

"And one day, you just decided to join the dark side?"

"I...became an apprentice to Anjean over one hundred years ago." Byrne began. I turned and faced him, leaning my back against the widows, which didn't seem to be broken anymore. The magic of video game logic, I supposed. "I wanted to study with her, because I hoped that the spirits would grant me power. But no matter how long I asked, and no matter what I did, they never gave me the power I desired."

"Then Cole found me and lured me into helping him with tales of the mighty Demon King who, once revived, could make us more powerful than the petty Spirits of Good. He granted me a little power just for joining him, a taste of the power to come, he said, and I became much too blinded by the prospect of more power to see through his lies." Byrne said bitterly.

"Huh." I said softly. Anjean rolled over silently to listen to Byrne's story.

"Then Cole informed me of his plan to kidnap the Princess and...er...eliminate certain...obstacles..."

"...Which would be...me and Link?"

"Yes. But when you attacked, and somehow absorbed energy from me, I knew that you could be a powerful ally. So I did not kill you, but offered you the chance to join us, back in the Castle Town. You refused. At the time, I could not see why. I couldn't understand why anyone wouldn't want to be the strongest, the most powerful."

"In the mean time, Cole was becoming nervous. The tower was coming together more quickly then he had anticipated. He sent me to track you three and put a stop to your restoring the temples. However, I noticed that your power had retreated somewhat, and was starting to dissipate. It was then that I realized that it was not_my_ power you had taken, as Cole and I both assumed, but Malladus', and that was why it was taking so long for him to return. That is also why it was draining from you, a servant on the side of the Spirits of good."

"I entered your dreams, and trained you in the home of the Gorons, and your power came back. Not fully, but enough to allow Malladus' resurrection. That is when I hid in the Tower and waited for you to come to me. I never imagined the treachery Cole was capable of...and how foolish I had been to ever believe him." Byrne finished.

We sat in silence, absorbing his tragic story.

"Malladus has a way of twisting thoughts so that good seems evil, and what is evil seems good." Anjean sighed. "Most become influenced into doing things against one's better judgement."

I was silent, thinking how his story was so similar to Vaati's.

And, also, that I had been using Demon king power. Eww.

"I...I apologize for using you...Mia." Byrne said again.

"...It's fine. I guess we both turned out to be hoodwinked, huh?" I half-smiled. Then my smile disappeared. "...Why _do_ you cover your face?" Byrne's hand slid up to his scarf thing.

"I did it because I had left the Spirits of good. But now...I suppose it's no longer needed." He started to unwrap it, letting the green cloth fall to the floor.

With his face no longer veiled, he looked...much less evil.

Out of nowhere, images began piecing themselves together in my head.

I got a glimpse of an enthusiastic boy long ago, maybe a little younger than Link, tugging on a much younger Anjean's hand, small body quivering in excitement. Then a few years older, training with a look of fierce determination in his still-youthful eyes. Then finally, a few years older than me, and seething in anger and frustration when denied power by the spirits.

I realized that Byrne had placed the images into my head, and I stretched my stiff legs out in front of me, squinting at him questioningly in the fading light.

Fading light?

I turned to look out the window, questions forgotten. Byrne and Anjean followed my gaze.

The sky had grown dark, rolling with ugly purple clouds. Thunder rumbled in the distance.

"Guys! We're nearing a portal! It looks really evil!" Zelda stuck her head in front of Byrne's window briefly. "Come see!" Anjean and I piled over to Byrne's side of the car and all three of us pressed our faces against the windows.

'It looks really evil' was an understatement.

"...Wow. So, um, I suppose we have to go into that, hey?" I blinked, more than a little concerned.

"Yes." Anjean said.

"We're going in!" Zelda shouted from the front of the train.

"Great." My voice cracked a little as the light faded even more. The passenger car grew quite dark and began to vibrate as we entered the Dark Realm.

"It'll be okay Mia." Byrne said, apparently sensing my agitation.

"If only I had a dollar every time someone said that to me today." I laughed nervously, catching glimpses of strange, dark scenery through the poisonous-looking vapors of mist.

Skulls of various species were impaled on spikes that stuck out of the ground/air; the tracks we were traveling on seemed to be floating.

"I suppose I would only have, like, two dollars, but still..."

"Don't fret, dearie. If anyone can get us to the Demon Train in one piece, it's Link." Anjean put her hand on my shoulder.

Not that I doubted Link or anything, but the huge, metal train that we had just pulled up to, and probably had to board would make the Enterprise's crew second guess their captain's sanity. Link hit the brakes, and we stopped right along side. Byrne and I both looked at Anjean.

"So. What next?" I asked as Link and Zelda entered the car and shut the door behind them. Anjean turned to face them and rolled forward.

"I will accompany you from here on out. It is too dangerous for the two of you to go alone."

"No. I will go. It's the least I can do, Master." Byrne interjected.

"Excuse me? If anyone is going, it should be me." I glared at both of them.

"What?" Link gasped. "No way! You're both too injured!"

"It's just Malladus and Cole." Zelda said. "It'll be a piece of cake! You stay here, Anjean. Link and I will take care of everything."

Anjean stared at her for a moment, then raised her hands. A glowy, fancy-looking sword began to materialize in the air.

"As you wish. Take this sword, Link, I believe you were the one meant to use it." Link reached slowly reached out, his fingers hesitating before wrapping around the hilt pulling it from the air. "This is the sacred Lokomo sword. May it serve you well."

It's dangerous to go alone. Take this!

"Wow..." Link swung it back and forth a few times, then raised it above his head.

A mysterious breeze ruffled his hat and tunic and hair, and in that pose, he really did look like a hero of legend.

"Take care, you two." Anjean said as they headed back towards the door.

"Link?" I called after them. Link turned back before leaving the car. "Be...be careful, alright?"

"I'll see you, Mia." Link smiled.

"We'll be right back!" Zelda said cheerily.

We sat in silence after they left, watching them climb up the side of the train.

"Her ancestors would have been proud of her." Anjean murmured.

I picked at my hands nervously, very much concerned for the well-being of the two normal, human, pretty much powerless kids.

"This is bull!" I finally snapped as the Demon Train decided to start moving away from us. "We can't just sit here and do nothing, Anjean!"

"And what will you do?" Anjean asked. "You're injured."

"I have business to settle with Cole. The dude tried to kill me! Twice!"

Under normal circumstances, I'm not usually one to hold a grudge. But these weren't exactly normal circumstances.

"And plus. I feel perfectly fine."

That wasn't entirely true.

I didn't wait for a reply, but grabbed Link's old sword and sheath, pulling it over my head before stomping towards the door, throwing it open, and stepping carefully out onto the rails. I coughed, something in the cursed air making it kind of hard to breathe.

"Mia. Wait." Byrne appeared at the door of the Spirit Train.

"Don't try and stop me." I said, jogging after the train, which was picking up speed, and grabbing onto a railing with one hand.

"I am not trying to stop you," Byrne called after me. I grabbed the railing with my other hand as the train started moving too fast for me to run along side it. Hooking one leg around the ladder that led to the top of the train, I managed to scramble on board, with little grace, but whatever. "I'm coming with you." Byrne said, from beside me, causing me to almost loose my grip.

"Oi! Give a girl some warning, would ya?"

"You should be used to me, how do you say, 'appearing out of nowhere' by now." He pointed out.

"Well what if I thought you were Cole, huh?" I glared at him in annoyance, although I was kind of glad to have him with me.

"Then I would be quaking in my boots." Byrne said, following me up the ladder.

"Are you making fun of me?" I demanded, peering down at him. I noticed he had wrapped his face scarf around his neck like, well, a scarf.

"No. I'm much too afraid of you to make fun." He said gazing up at me, a flicker of something like humor in his eyes. I blinked, momentarily disconcerted, before the sound of conversation reached my ears, drawing me back to the matter at hand. I peeked over the top of the train.

"Meddling! Meddling! Always the meddling!" Cole was ranting, practically right above my head. I ducked.

_Someone's pissed_, I mouthed to Byrne.

"But now! Here is where the infernal meddling stops forever!" Cole's voice had risen to a somewhat hysteric shriek. "Your Majesty!" He cried to the body of the princess, who I had failed to notice. With a quick peek, I saw..._It_ floating above the far end of the train. Zelda and Link were a few feet away, their backs facing me. "Your resurrection is now complete! Please use your power to destroy these two!"

Crap.

I started to rush forward to assist, but Byrne stopped me.

"Let me go!" I hissed, as he grabbed my ankle.

"No! The time is not right!" He shot back.

I kicked my leg and watched uselessly as Malladus shot a thick laser beam right at Link. To my relief, Zelda whipped her shield off her back and used it to deflect the laser.

I guess she's not completely useless after all.

She started walking forward, shielding Link, who was holding the Bow of Light and following behind her.

I perked up a little. This was going better than I expected.

Then Cole cackled and unleashed a bunch of...electric...mice. They scurried along the swaying train towards Zelda and Link.

"Wow." I smirked. "Mice. That's very effective."

"AUGH! MICE! LINK, SAVE ME!" Zelda shrieked, dropping her shield and covering her head with her hands.

"...Wow. Just...wow."

It took a few seconds for Link to figure out what she was talking about, and in that time, one of the mice scampered up Zelda's arm and under a chink in her armor.

Zelda's spine stiffened, and the light in her eyes faded from pink to a dull blue.

"Uhm...Zelda?" Link peered closer at her. Zelda turned slowly to look at him, the hand holding her giant sword tightening around the hilt.

"Go! Now! Right now!" Byrne hissed and gave me a shove onto the roof of the train. I stumbled towards Link.

"Link!"

Link turned.

"Mia?"

"Link! Move!" I yelled as Zelda raised her sword. I was still too far away.

"Hee. Hee. Hee!" Cole rubbed his hands together in glee.

"L-L-Liiiinnkkkk..." Zelda groaned woozily. I threw myself forward, grabbing Link around the waist and pushing him out of the way just as Zelda brought her sword down.

"What the hell?" I snapped at Zelda, pushing myself off of Link. "What's wrong with you?" Link was visibly shaken.

"You...you tried to kill me..." He said. In reply, Zelda slashed in our general direction again.

"You! How are you still alive?" Cole spat, his eyes glowing in rage.

"Mia!" Byrne yelled. "Cole is controlling Zelda! Cut the ropes attaching her to him to lift the spell!" I jumped to my feet and hauled Link up, pushing the Lokomo sword into his hand.

"You heard him, right? Cut the glowing ropes!" Link nodded and jumped as Zelda almost hit him again. I awkwardly pulled Link's old sword out of the sheath on my back and pointed it at Cole.

"You honestly think that you, a puny little girl can go up against me, a demon?" He grinned, pulling Zelda's ropes so that she was facing me.

"What...what did you just call me?"

Cole grinned wider.

"I said: you are nothing but a puny little girl, and I am a demon. With the Dark Lord Malladus on my side!" He finished triumphantly. Seething in anger, I drew back my arm and threw Link's sword straight at him. Cole shifted in the air, so that the sword flew past him and disappeared somewhere into the darkness. "Ha! You missed!" He taunted.

"Yes, but I distracted you from Link. And that's all that matters now." I smirked as Link freed Phantom Zelda, the two of them starting towards Malladus again.

"What?" Cole watched in disbelief as Link nocked a golden arrow and shot it straight into Malladus, who was just sitting there.

"URK!" The Demon Lord made a choking noise and wrapped his, rather Zelda's, hands around the arrow shaft protruding from his stomach.

Phantom Zelda lumbered up and grabbed Malladus with both arms to prevent him from escaping as streams of light shot from the arrow into Zelda's body.

"RELEASE...ME..." Malladus said in a scary, demon voice.

"No!" Zelda said, tightening her grip as her body began to convulse. "You're not going anywhere!" The Demon Train lurched forward, wheels grinding on the rails. "Link! Mia! You have to get out of here!"

Link and I were thrown to the ground as the train lurched again, smoke beginning to rise from the front.

"Malladus's power over the Dark Realm is weakening!" Byrne called, running towards us. "The train will explode! We need to leave now!"

"Your Majesty..." Cole stared in horror as the Demon King began the process of being driven out of Zelda's body. A bright flash of light sent him flying away in fright.

Byrne grabbed Link and I by our arms and started pulling us towards the edge of the train.

"I have to help Zelda!" Link said, twisting out of Byrne's grasp and running towards Malladus.

"No! Link! Come back!" I yelled after him. "Zelda can't get hurt, but you can!" Link turned and gave me one last glance, the hint of a sad smile flickering over his lips, before disappearing into the smoke. "No!" I protested, struggling as I was towed towards the edge of the train. "Don't let him go!"

"It is too late." Byrne said, wrapping one arm around me, pulling me against his chest and jumping off the train as it began to explode, chunks of metal and gears shooting off the sides and past us as we fell.

"Link!" I yelled as a humongous fireball engulfed the entire train car, the heat slapping me in the face, even as we fell further and further down towards the ground. I buried my head against Byrne's shoulder, angry tears dampening the material of his shirt. "Why didn't you go and get him. Now we're all going to die!" I said, glaring and brushing away tears as his scarf flapped in my face. My pessimistic side never fails me.

"Shut up and let me focus," Byrne snapped.

"On what? Watching your life flash before your eyes? Predicting where our grave site will be?"

The wind blew our hair straight upwards as we plummeted through the purple clouds and emerged into the normal atmosphere again, hundreds of feet above the ground. I took a moment to drink in the clear, un-fouled air. Then I saw how far up we were and clutched at Byrne's arm in fright.

"Ahhhhhhhh!"

My stomach leaped into my throat and I squeezed my eyes shut as the ground came rushing upwards to meet us.


	12. The Final Battle

**Chapter 12: The Final Battle**

* * *

Although we came close, we didn't die.

No, instead, Byrne waited until we were about fifty feet above the ground before magically changing our mass or something, so we weighed just barely heavier than the air. I opened my eyes as we floated the last few feet and touched safely on the ground.

"Why...why couldn't you do that when we first jumped off that train?" I stuttered, my limbs still shaking from my near-death experience.

"Because we were still in the Dark Realm." Byrne wheezed. "You can...you can let go now," He loosened his grip around me. I numbly pried my fingers off of his arm, where they had frozen due to my death grip.

"Sorry." I mumbled, apologizing for the faint, finger-shaped marks left on his skin. He shook his head dismissively, and, without warning, our weight returned back to normal.

"Ahh!" I crumpled to the ground, limbs feeling like they were made of lead. Lead with nerve endings. Despite the pain, I stared at the ground, making no move to, well move.

"Mia?" Byrne sounded concerned. "Are you alright?"

"No I am not alright." I sniffed. "Link...Link, he..." I couldn't even say it. I didn't even want to think it.

"Mia!" Byrne's voice changed abruptly.

"What?" I glanced up at him to see him staring into the sky. "You know what? It is a lovely time for stargazing." I said angrily.

"No, above your head."

"Huh?" I squinted up into the dark sky. "Link?" I breathed, daring to hope. "Link!" I smiled as the figure falling directly above my head got closer.

My smile faded as I attempted to stand, but failed, not used to my weight yet, I guess. My eyes widened.

"Crap. Change his weight! Change his weight!" I started panicking.

"I cannot, unless it is for myself or someone I am...touching." Byrne said.

"Ahh!"

Luckily for me, Byrne was kind enough to catch Link in his freakishly strong arms before said kid could fall on my head.

"Link!" I used Byrne's arm to pull myself up. "Link..."

Link's hat was gone, his hair lightly singed, his face dirty. I pulled him away from Byrne, crumpling back to the ground. "Link! C'mon, kid!" I propped Link's head up on my arm and brushed his hair out of his face. "Wake up!"

"...Mia...?" Link stirred, squinting up at me. I blinked.

"Thank...uh...oh yeah! The Goddesses! Link, don't scare me like that!" I held him at arms length to look at him.

"Ughhh." Link winced.

"Mia! Link!" Byrne said. "The princess!"

"Aw, she's still alive?" I sighed, but looked up just the same. Zelda, or rather, the body of Zelda was floating out of the sky. After a few painful-looking convulses, a hideous looking...thing was expelled. We all stared at the blue, disturbing, slightly see-through Demon King Spirit as it emitted an unpleasant sound, it's facial features twisted into an expression of rage.

"That's...the Demon King?" Link gasped as something streaked through the sky. It was the spirit of Zelda, hurtled straight towards her body.

"You're not getting away this time!" She yelled in determination.

"No! Stop!" Cole chased after her. "That vessel belongs to his Majesty!" Zelda ignored him and closed her eyes, bracing for impact. But...instead of reclaiming her body, she went straight through it.

"What...?" I frowned. "What's wrong now?"

"Huh?" Zelda turned around and tried agin, not succeeding.

"Your Majesty! Now is the time! Reclaim Zelda's body before it is too late!" Cole said frantically to the floating mass of Demon.

"Uh, Zelda." I started to warn.

"Why isn't this working?" Zelda murmured, not noticing the Demon hurtling towards both her and her body.

"Zelda!" Link yelled, and finally Zelda whirled around.

"EEEK!" She shrieked and covered her face as Malladus flew straight at her and slammed into a purple forcefield that was cast by Byrne.

"You cannot give up now! Your body has sacred power flowing through its veins! Concentrate on reclaiming it!" He grunted, holding back the Demon King clearly being a lot harder than it looked.

"Byrne..." Zelda blinked gratefully, then closed her eyes. Her spirit began to glow and sparkle as she merged with her body, the two parts of her finally becoming whole again. It was a really weird thing to see. "Ah...AHHHHHHHH!" She shrieked as she began to fall, head over heels through the air. Well, that was smart.

"Link! Go!" Byrne hissed through teeth gritted with effort. Link scrambled over to where the princess was falling and stretched out his arms. She landed on him with a thud.

"Ouch." I cringed.

"Mmm. Am I back?" Zelda raised her head, examining gloved hands and turning her arms this way and that. "I AM back!" She giggled in delight, turning around and hugging Link.

Unknown to us, above our heads, the forcefield had vanished, leaving an enraged Malladus and an even angrier Cole.

"ARRGH! Wait...what about her? She has held your power before!" Cole spat, but I wasn't really paying attention to him. Rather, I was silently celebrating the fact that I had managed to stand up.

"Miiiiiia!" Link shrieked.

"What!" I looked up to see Malladus charging towards me, intent on possessing my body I guess. I stood frozen as a stream of energy shot out of him.

"Mia!" Byrne was suddenly beside me. He shoved me out of the dark power, which immediately engulfed his entire body, lifting him into the air. He struggled and gave a cry as Malladus viciously shot electricity into him.

"Byrne!" I clasped both my hands over my mouth in horror as he managed to direct his gaze onto me one last time. He smiled, the first time I ever saw him do that. And also, the last. Within moments, he was reduced to...nothing. Completely destroyed. Dead. All that was left was his scarf, which had fallen to the ground. "Byrne..." Tears welled up in my eyes.

"Excellent work, your majesty!" Cole giggle, beside himself with morbid joy as the rest of us looked on in horror at the spot where Byrne had disappeared. "But, time is short. Please do away with the two pests and gain control of Zelda's body once again."

The Demon King moved upwards, rising behind Cole until his monstrous eyes were level with the little floating demon. Sensing that something was amiss, Cole turned around. "No your majesty! Please! No!" He shrieked in horror as Malladus...ate him.

Eeew.

A whirling blue cyclone of...wind, I guess, came out of nowhere and surrounded him, then dissipating and leaving a huge, blue, Ganon-like pig/warthog creature in it's place. With two horns on top of his head.

"Did he just posses Cole?" Zelda said.

"This...spirit is weak." Malladus growled. "His...form is rejecting...me...but..." He reared back on his hind legs. "...The world will crumble in the time I have gone!"

"Well aren't we just a bloody ray of sunshine," I sniffed.

"Mia! Link!" Zelda ordered, not one for mourning while the killer still lived. I did notice a faint tear track trailing down her cheek, though. "You two distract Malladus, and I'll look for an opportunity to shoot him in the back with the Bow of Light. This is the last battle, so let's make it count!"

Link nodded and unsheathed his sword. He fished around in his pocket and pulled out the boomerang, which he handed to me.

"Sorry. I guess I lost everything else when Zelda shoved me off of the train." He said.

"Okay." I said quietly. "But...I don't really know how to use a boomerang."

"Like this." Link took it out of my hand and threw it at Malladus, who was just sitting there, occasionally spewing fireballs at us, which we just stepped a little to the side to avoid. I caught it as it came back around, and threw it again, this time hitting Malladus on the horn. He directed his attention away from Zelda and onto me, which allowed said princess (Zelda, not me) to shoot him in the back. Malladus roared and collapsed to the ground, where Link was waiting, and graphically hacked off one of his horns.

Malladus didn't really put up much of a fight, or so it seemed to me.

All that was required from me, was occasionally throwing the yellow projectile at him, while Zelda let rip with her magical arrows of light, and Link attacked when Malladus was down, the fierce light of battle in his eyes.

It didn't take lone before both horns had been hacked off and Malladus was visibly weakened. As he swayed dizzily and fell to the ground, Link took his sword and plunged it straight into the ruby on the Demons' forehead. Malladus roared.

"Mia!" Link cried, and I ran up to him.

"Zelda! Get over here!" I gasped, wrapping my hands around the Lokomo sword, right above Link's. The stink of Demon blood and sweat fouled the air.

"I...I'm coming!" She called, setting down her bow and running, rather, walking, towards us.

"For crying out loud, ditch the high-heels!" I managed to roll my eyes, despite the huge, grunting demon a few inches above my head.

"But...oh fine!" Zelda kicked off her shoes and ran up to us, miraculously managing not to trip over her long, fancy dress. "Move!" She demanded, and I scooted over a bit, much more offended by Malladus' huge, blood-shot eyes glaring down at us then her princess attitude.

All three of us, with every ounce of remaining strength, shoved the blade deep into the red gem on Malladus' forehead.

Thick blood splashed our face and hands, but still we kept our grip on the hilt. There was silence for a few moments, then the Demon King roared, clutching his ruined head in his animal-like hands as rays of light shot outwards from his body, shining from within. A high-pitched shrieking/roaring noise penetrated my ears like an alarm. Malladus began to shake, bits of blue stuff bursting off of his very unstable body.

"I...I WILL RETURN! THIS...IS...NOT...THE...END!"

I shielded my face and wrapped an arm around Link, who was huddling against me as Malladus, the great Demon King, who would probably be incarnated in the future as some other unnamable horror, was, at last, defeated.

* * *

"It's over." Zelda said. "It's finally over."

A tinge of orange and pink lit up the horizon as the sun began to rise. I absentmindedly wiped the demon blood off of my face as Anjean rolled out of nowhere.

"I see you have succeeded. Well done." She said tiredly. Zelda turned.

"Oh Anjean...Byrne, he..." She trailed off. "It is how it was meant to be." Anjean sighed.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and stared at the ground.

"But," Anjean said. I looked up, the tiniest bit of hope flickering within me. "We Lokomos are servants of the spirits. We do not disappear that easily." As Anjean lifted her hands, flecks of purple began to come together over her head, forming a purple ball of light.

"Byrne?" I whispered. The ball of light pulsed, and Anjean nodded. "Byrne!" I laughed happily, as the glowing ball flew towards me, then over to the green scarf lying on the ground, then back to me again. I studied him for a minute, then went over and picked his scarf up. He circled around my neck a few times, then hovered in front of my face. Following his movements, I wrapped the scarf securely around my neck. "Thanks." I whispered. "For everything." A soft purple glow radiated as he lit on my out-stretched hand briefly, before joining Anjean as she began to rise out of her chair and into the air.

"The door to your world is about to open m'dear." She said to me. "You'd better say your goodbyes now."

Goodbyes...I hate goodbyes.

I turned to Zelda first. Despite having been involved in the slaying of a demon king, she still managed to look like a princess, pretty as ever. Her golden hair looked soft and smooth, her skin unmarred by blood or any other monster residue.

"Well, princess..." I started. She stared at me, then surprised me by giving me a quick hug before stepping back.

"Thanks, Mia." She mumbled. "I'm...I'm sorry...

"No worries." I mumbled back. "I'm sorry too..."

She nodded in forgiveness. I was on the verge of saying something else, when Link threw himself into my arms, his eyes glossy with unshed tears.

"Do you really have to go? Can I go with you? Please? I really would like to see your world..."

I squeezed my eyes shut and eventually pulled away. "Link, you're much better off here. Trust me. And plus, me being around here any longer would probably screw a lot of things up."

"Mia..." His chin quivered and a tear rolled down his cheek, matching the ones rolling down mine. I wipped my cheeks with the back of my hand and managed a wavering smile, before turning and nodding at Anjean. Anjean blinked warmly and, and I felt myself starting to float into the air, along with all the other Lokomo sages from all around Hyrule, who had become floating balls of light.

I felt something in my heart give a little as the ground got further and further away. Tears trickled freely from my eyes, oddly enough, falling to the ground in a shower of sparkles. I saw Link reach out and catch one in his hand before looking up at me.

"Bye Mia!" He called, his voice getting all echoy.

"Bye Mia! Bye Anjean!" Zelda waved.

"Bye." I whispered softly as a white, misty light engulfed me, filling all my senses.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

"Mia!" Someone shouted in my ear, shaking my shoulder.

"Hmm?" I lifted my head off my arms and blinked in surprise.

I was back at school. Wait, what?

My classmates were pushing back their chairs and gathering their Louis Vuitton bags while complaining about their hair and nails or, in the case of the guys, punching each other on the shoulder like guys do. The world seemed so...dim and normal. Was it all just a dream?

"Wake up!" My friend, Jackie ordered, her eyes flickering to my neck. "Class is over and hey, whoa, what's with the scarf?" I rubbed my eyes, and fingered the green material around my neck.

"I dunno." I muttered, not really understanding where the scarf had come from. Then I remembered. "Oh!" My eyes widened. "Byrne!"

"Who's Byrne?" Jackie asked as we left the classroom, merging into the throng of students swarming the hallway.

"Um, just someone I used to...know."

"Hmm." Jackie arched her thin, blonde eyebrow. "Is this Byrne someone you'd like to introduce me to?"

"Jackie, you're such a player. What happened to the three jocks I saw you eating lunch with...yesterday?"

Was it only yesterday? It seemed so long ago.

"Pssh!" Jackie swatted me playfully on the shoulder with her purse. "You're just jealous because boys actually notice me. Unlike you, little miss emo, sitting in a corner, reading a book or typing on your laptop or something."

Jackie was my best friend, and as much as she knew my hate for stereotypes, she also knew that she could get away with labeling me like that.

"A mind is a terrible thing to waste, Jackie. I'm glad they didn't waste one on you."

"I'll see you later, Mia." Jackie grinned, heading into her classroom.

Somehow, I made it through the rest of the day, and floated through the rest of the week, my life quickly starting to seem normal again. As if me being in Spirit Tracks never really happened. Except I had Byrne's scarf. And the two pictures, which I tacked up on the wall beside my bed.

Saturday finally rolled around. I woke up early and filled the coffee pot with water, trying my best not to wake up Zack and my mom. While the water was boiling, I crept back to my room and grabbed my notebook, (Stupid, laptop, with its dead battery) Converse sneakers, and, as an after thought, Byrne's scarf. Wrapping it around my neck and grabbing a travel mug full of coffee, I left the apartment building and headed towards my favorite place, the place I liked to think of as 'my park'. It was the same park I had described to Link and also, the only place worth going so early in the morning. On the weekend.

The early morning air felt crisp and smelled like sage and apples.

I walked through the trees, their branches seeming to wave at me, until I came to a bench that faced the mountains. The sun picked up the sparkles in the snow on their jagged peaks and turned the sky pink as I sat and pulled my hair into a ponytail, tilting my head up and letting sunbeams dance across my face. I tried my best to conjure images of being in Spirit Tracks, tried to remember how the air smelled in contrast to the air here. It was all fading. I pulled a pen out of my jacket pocket, uncapping it and chewing on the end for a few seconds, a habit my mom was always hounding me about.

_I slammed my locker shut and trudged down the hall as the bell rang, signaling the next period in an obnoxious manner._

I supposed that was a good enough start as any. I folded back the cover of my notebook and began to write as a train whistle blew somewhere in the distance, the familiar noise echoing off the mountains.

* * *

**~The End~**

**Thank you so much for reading! ^^**

***Inserts request to go read my recently published Skyward Sword remix***


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